E-Scooter on Your Kids' Holiday Gift List? Experts Have Warnings, Safety Tips

Follow Drugslib on

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com.

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Dec. 8, 2023 -- An electric scooter might be on your kid’s wish list for Christmas, but pediatricians say parents should think twice before buying one.

Even taking a child on a ride with an e-scooter is a dicey proposition, said Dr. Ashley Ebersole, a pediatrician with Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Ohio.

“If you fall off an e-scooter, which can travel up to 15 and 20 miles per hour, you are going to get hurt,” said Ebersole, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). “Emergency department visits have spiked. While we most often see cuts, fractures and head injuries, some of these injuries are severe.”

Injuries related to e-scooter use rose 22% in 2022 from the year before, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported in October. An estimated 51,700 people were injured in e-scooter crashes that year.

About 16% of ER visits for e-scooter wrecks between 2017 and 2022 involved kids ages 5 to 14 and 25% involved people ages 15 to 24, the CPSC says. That’s more than those age groups’ share of the overall population, which is 12% and 13% respectively.

The AAP recommends that children under 16 who are too young to have a driver’s license not be allowed to operate or ride a motorized or electric scooter. Many cities restrict e-scooter use to those 16 and older, and children could face a traffic ticket for breaking the rules.

Anyone riding an e-scooter should also wear the appropriate safety gear, including a helmet, closed-toe shoes, elbow and knee pads, and reflective gear when riding at night, the AAP says. The risk of injury from a scooter wreck is as much if not more than the risk posed by a bicycle crash.

Other safety tips include:

  • Start slow, as the accelerator and braking tabs on the handles can be touchy on some scooters.
  • No texting and riding – use both hands to operate the scooter.
  • Don’t wear earbuds, as you need your hearing to be fully aware of your surroundings.
  • Use bike lanes when available, and when not available, stay on the right side of the road.
  • Don’t ride e-scooters on sidewalks or park walking paths, as this puts pedestrians at risk.
  • Don’t operate an e-scooter under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
  • Don’t take e-scooters onto a highway, and be aware when riding one on a busy street.

    • The AAP warns that e-scooters are so tempting a kid might sign up on a rental app to use one without their parent’s consent. Make sure children know your rules and expectations, and check their phone if you have concerns.

    More than a third of the e-scooter injuries that occurred in 2022 happened with a rented scooter, the CPSC noted.

    “I encourage families to talk with their college-aged children about the dangers of operating e-scooters while texting, listening to music or while under the influence of drugs or alcohol,” Ebersole said in an AAP news release. “And if an e-scooter is on your holiday gift list, make sure that it comes with a helmet and a conversation about safety.”

    Sources

  • American Academy of Pediatrics, news release, Dec. 5, 2023

    • Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

    Source: HealthDay

    Posted : 2023-12-08 20:15

    Read more

    Disclaimer

    Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.

    The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

    Popular Keywords