L.A. ’s injury rate from e-scooters may exceed national rate for motorcycles

For a recent six-year period, the injury rate for riders of electric scooters in one section of Los Angeles was higher than the national rates for riders of motorcycles, bicycles and cars, and pedestrians, new UCLA research has found.The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One, uses data from greater Los Angeles to highlight a risk that is likely to grow globally as e-scooters proliferate. According to a 2019 McKinsey report, around the world, shareable e-scooters, which can be rented on demand using a smartphone app, could in the coming years account for 1 in 10 trips shorter than 5 miles.“There are millions of riders now using these scooters, so it ’s more important than ever to understand their impact on public health, ” said Dr. Joann Elmore, senior author of the study and a professor of medicine in the division of general internal medicine and health services research at theDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.“The finding that rates of injuries from e-scooters are similar to rates for motorcycle injuries is startling.“The ease of public access to on-demand shareable scooters and safety regulations that are still in their infancy suggest that e-scooter operators, cities and health care providers will continue to see a significant number of injuries each year.”Ina study published in 2019, UCLA researchers reported that people injured in e-scooter accidents often sustain fractures and head trauma requiring treatment in an emergency department....
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news