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Electric Scooter Crashes and Inconsistent Helmet Laws are Leading to More Head Injuries

Categories: Living with Brain Injury, Research

By Michelle Weinberg, OTR/L, CBIS, CSRS, MSOT

As an occupational therapist who specializes in a neurological unit that assists people in recovering from traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and spinal cord injuries, I have noticed a worrying trend over the past several years of individuals being admitted due to micro-mobility device accidents. The surge in patients needing intensive therapy because of severe head or spinal injuries from using micro-mobility devices, such as electric scooters (e-scooters), has been staggering. In December, a study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that the incidence of severe e-bike and e-scooter injuries increased from 2019 to 2022, with population-based rates of e-scooter injuries increasing by an estimated 88 percent.

This increase highlights a critical issue in the United States regarding a lack of consistent helmet laws. Each state sets its own regulations, leading to a patchwork of rules. Some states require helmets for riders of all ages, others require helmets to only be worn by minors, and some have no helmet laws at all.

E-scooters are a popular and efficient way to travel, but riders face significant risks, such as limited bike lanes, construction, and congested streets, as well as sharing the road with increasingly distracted drivers.

For nearly two decades, I have helped people rebuild their lives after devastating brain and spinal injuries. Historically, my patients have been recovering from strokes, cancer, or a range of accidents. However, in recent years, the number of e-scooter-related injuries I have treated has skyrocketed.

In 2019, trauma surgeon Leslie Kobayashi published a study that found that over half of all intracranial hemorrhages and fractures in her operating rooms were linked to e-scooter crashes. The study also found that 98 percent of patients were not wearing a helmet at the time of their crash, and nearly half had blood alcohol levels above the legal limit, highlighting the urgent need for helmet use and public education on the dangers of riding while impaired.

In 2023, researcher Moses Markowitz reported that limiting e-scooter availability in Miami significantly dropped orthopedic cases at the local Level I trauma center. Meanwhile, Tampa, which introduced e-scooters in 2019, saw a direct correlation between the introduction of e-scooters and an increase in head injuries. And injuries as a result of e-scooters aren’t limited to the people who ride them: a literature review by Manish Toofany showed that while the majority of e-scooter riders were injured in single road user events, in some cases cyclists and pedestrians were injured through collisions with e-scooters. Head and upper body injuries are particularly common in these types of collisions and can result in long-term impairments that require extensive and costly rehabilitation.

Data shows us that helmets save lives. Helmets reduce the likelihood of brain injuries by 65 percent to 88 percent and reduce the risk of severe brain injury by 75 percent. I have seen firsthand the consequences for patients who choose not to wear a helmet, and in many cases, their lives are forever altered. Wearing a helmet should be as essential as fastening a seatbelt.

Micro-mobility devices are an innovative and sustainable way to travel, but we can’t ignore their risks. As a community, we should advocate for safety regulations such as nationwide helmet laws and invest in education about the danger of operating micro-mobility devices while under the influence of alcohol.

If you or someone you know rides an e-scooter, please wear a helmet. It could be the difference between life and death. There is no excuse for not wearing a helmet. Below are some resources you can use to help make our roadways safer and promote helmet use in your community:

Michelle Weinberg is an occupational therapist at Memorial Regional Hospital South in Hollywood, Florida, where she is distinguished as a Clinical Ladder III therapist. With nearly 20 years of experience, she specializes in neurorehabilitation, with a particular focus on TBI, spinal cord injury, and stroke.