In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, a group of researchers quantified and contrasted the incidence, severity, and risk factors of stand-up electric scooter (e-scooter) and bicycle injuries.
Background
Picture a Friday night downtown: neon lights flash, rideshares queue, and wheels buzz past traffic. Micromobility keeps streets moving, yet prior studies estimate about 10 riders in every 100,000 land in an emergency department (ED) after a stand-up e-scooter spin, but the Helsinki-specific rate was 7.8 per 100,000 trips. This is about triple the toll for bicycles. Unlike cars, these platforms offer no crumple zone; the rider is the bumper.
Younger adults, late-night trips, alcohol, and helmets left at home create a risky mix. Knowing how scooter crashes differ from bicycle crashes can guide speed caps, safety campaigns, and lanes. Further research must confirm which measures truly flatten the injury curve.
About the study
The team conducted a cohort analysis of stand-up e-scooter and bicycle injuries treated in three EDs between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023. Anonymized cases were mined with keyword searches from the hospital data pool, and records were screened to confirm a crash. Age, sex, timing, helmet use, alcohol testing, and injury details were abstracted. The most severe lesion was coded with the Abbreviated Injury Score (AIS), and the composite New Injury Severity Score (NISS) captured trauma burden.
