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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 10, 2024 (HealthDay News) — When you’re looking for a cheap, easy way to get around the city, which is safer, a scooter or a bicycle?
A nationwide look at injuries linked to both shows that bicycling may be the safest option.
UCLA researchers report that scooter injuries nearly tripled in the US between 2016 and 2020, many of them severe enough to require orthopedic and plastic surgery. The cost of treating those injuries increased fivefold, highlighting their financial strain on the health care system.
“Considering the increase in the number of hospitalizations and major operations for skateboard-related injuries, it is important to raise safety standards for riders,” lead author Nam Yong Cho of the Medical Year from UCLA said in a news release. ” “Advocating for better infrastructure, including mandatory speed limits and dedicated lanes, is also important to reduce risks to vehicles, scooter riders and pedestrians.”
In the study published Jan. 9 in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, researchers used a federal government database to compare trends and outcomes of injuries related to skateboards and scooter bikes. The database did not differentiate between electric and non-electric skateboards.
Overall, approximately 93,000 patients were hospitalized due to injuries during the study period (about 6,100 from skateboards).
About 27% of scooter users and 16% of cyclists were under the age of 18.
Injuries increased during the winter months, with scooter injuries resulting in more major surgeries than cycling injuries (56% vs. 48%). These included orthopedic surgery (89 vs 48%); plastic surgery (85% vs 85%); and lead operations (5% vs. 4%).
The study found that scooter riders were more likely to suffer long bone fractures and paralysis than cyclists, but the risk of traumatic brain injuries was similar in both groups.
And those injuries were costly.
The annual cost of treating scooter-related injuries increased from approximately $6.6 million in 2016 to $35.5 million in 2020. The cost of bicycle injuries also increased from $307 million to $434 million.
The researchers noted that the database contained little information about helmet use, whether there were multiple riders or whether drugs were used. They failed to take into account the role of objects, other vehicles, terrain, speed, time of day and distance travelled.
Despite these limitations, researchers noted increased patient injuries, hospitalizations, and financial burden as worrying.
“The progressive increase in injury severity in scooter-related incidents appears to result in a larger proportion of patients requiring surgical intervention and potentially having long-term (health problems),” they wrote. “Our findings are a call to action for healthcare leaders to be empowered to prevent skateboard-related injuries and promote greater safety in the community.”
more information
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has more information on bicycle safety.
Source: UCLA Health Sciences, news release, January 9, 2023
