The electric scooter is here to stay. Those who thought that its emergence into the urban landscape was going to be the result of a passing fad were completely wrong. In a few years, this gadget that was born as a recreational element has become an efficient and sustainable means of transportation that gains followers day after day as we can see at any time on the streets of large cities.
The ease of use, combined with its low environmental impact and its ability to avoid traffic, makes the electric scooter a viable alternative for daily trips for thousands of people. But all these advantages that the scooter provides to its users also carry a significant risk to their physical integrity.
The structure of the scooter makes the people who ride it very vulnerable to any type of accident, no matter how small. Dr. Anna Carreras Castañer, senior specialist in the orthopedic surgery and traumatology service at the Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, knows this very well, who treats injured users practically every day. “Injuries resulting from electric scooter accidents present a level of severity comparable to that observed in motorcycle accidents or winter sports such as skiing.”
Previously, “high energy” injuries in urban environments were mainly associated with motorcycle accidents or run overs. However, since the popularization of the electric scooter, serious injuries related to this means of transportation have also become common. “Head trauma and injuries to the upper extremities, especially the wrist, elbow or clavicle, are the most common. They are much more serious than those that a person can suffer when they fall to ground level,” says the doctor.
Through his experience at the Hospital Clínic, Carreras warns of an added danger that electric scooter users sometimes suffer in an accident. “A person is more likely to be thrown if they suffer an accident while riding a scooter than if they are riding a motorcycle or bicycle, which more frequently results in the leg being trapped between the scooter and the ground and causing a tibia fracture.” .
“In general,” adds Dr. Carreras, “people who ride electric scooters are not aware that in the event of an accident they can suffer injuries comparable to those that occur among motorcycle users.” According to the traumatologist, these injuries can even be of greater intensity. "Although motorcyclists are very clear that they must wear a helmet and gloves and that it is advisable to wear clothing that protects them from a possible fall, electric scooter users have not yet internalized that they can do a lot of harm."
The speed reached by electric scooters, often above 25 km/h which is the regulatory limit set by Traffic regulations, is another factor that greatly influences the severity of injuries in the event of an accident. “The force of the impact depends on both the speed and the kinetic energy that the body absorbs when braking. "That's why we should never trick the motor of an electric scooter."
All these dangers to which electric scooter users are exposed serve as an argument for Dr. Carreras to be very cautious when evaluating the risk of accidents by city. "The reality is that we see many more accident injuries on electric scooters than on bicycles, because while those who ride a bike in the city usually travel at about 20 km/h, there are many scooter users who go at 40 km/h."
"If I had my children, I wouldn't let them ride an electric scooter, that's what I tell my nephews. For children, the electric scooter is fine from a recreational point of view, like a bike, but not as a means of transportation." transportation and less in the city,” adds the traumatologist.
To warn of the risk that electric scooter users have of suffering serious injuries, Carreras does not hesitate to affirm that this means of transportation is similar in many ways to a scooter. “It should be mandatory to be a minimum of 16 years of age and have basic knowledge to drive an electric scooter. And, of course, wear a helmet and have insurance, because public health should not be responsible for the expenses derived from possible accidents or injuries that may occur during its use,” says the doctor.
Finally, he reveals a paradox that his colleagues at the Sant Joan de Déu Hospital in Barcelona, specialized in pediatrics, observe with concern about his recurrence. “They receive children with head trauma who have fallen from the scooter and were not wearing helmets. The worst of all is that they were on the same scooter as their father or mother who, however, were wearing helmets.”
