A new report fromthe Washington Postfound that exigency room have seen a spike in incidents involving galvanising scooters . One particular hospital in Salt Lake City reported a 161 percent increment in scooter injuries — from eight accidental injury over a four - month clip span in 2017 to 21 in that same time period this year .
“ Most of the patients with these accidental injury specifically reported that they were riding an e - scooter or a rental scooter , ” Troy Madsen , a doctor at the University of Utah Health ’s Emergency Department , told the Washington Post . “ Interestingly , more than 80 per centum of the combat injury this year befall between Aug. 15 and Sept. 15 , which would correspond with the increasing popularity and accessibility of the e - scooters . ”
Madsen also reportedly indicate out that the person who came into the parking brake section with injury were between 20 and 50 long time old and “ often ” ache themselves trying to stop a fall . The Washington Post account included other injury - link up details cater by hospitals :
“ The infirmary reported that nearly half of this class ’s trauma were fractures and dislocation of ankles , articulatio radiocarpea , elbows and shoulders , as well as several cases of sprain and laceration . parking brake physicians also address several head injuries , and multiple patients separate doctors they were pick up and not wearing a helmet when they were injured . ”
Aside from the account injuries at the emergency elbow room in Salt Lake City , emergency physicians in seven other metropolis told the Washington Post they were getting more patients who had been need in electric scooter stroke , cite “ severe ” injuries like head traumas “ that were sustained from scooters malfunctioning or flip over over on spotty surfaces as well as rider being pip by cars or collide with pedestrians , ” the Post reported .
Inan to begin with account , the Post report that a San Francisco ER doctor was “ seeing as many as 10 severe combat injury a week ” relate to ice yacht , while Santa Monica fire battler reportedly “ responded to 34 serious accidents affect the devices this summertime . ”
For the uninitiated , a number of dockless electric scooter companies have landed millions of dollars in venture capital to furnish passersby the alternative to grab one and go . The scooters can be ante up for by the minute and are power by an app . But while early adoptive parent might have exalt these scooter , others have been quick to point out that they are “ so all-fired dangerous . ” Jalopnik writer Bradley Brownell and a friendtried out Bronx cheer — the most popular scooter service , esteem at $ 2 billion . Brownell state his friend ’s Pteridium aquilinum were faulty .
“ It was a great plan , and it would have worked if the scooters had worked . The problems started from the very first block , as Rick ’s Bird did not have strong enough pasture brake to stop the matter down one of the city ’s numerous hills . He managed to Flintstone - pasture brake the water scooter a few blocks until we got to Mikey ’s apartment , where he quickly traded out for another Bird . ”
to begin with this month , 24 - class - old Jacoby Stoneking die in an stroke require a Lime iceboat . “ An electric scooter is pretty much a moped , just a lilliputian dull , ” Sam Torbati , medical theatre director of the Ruth and Harry Roman Emergency Department at Cedars - Sinai in Los Angeles , tell the Los Angeles Times . “ hoi polloi seem to palpate dependable since it looks like a unpaid tool , but it come with potentiality for serious hurt . ”
As Torbati noted , these are n’t your running game - of - the - mill ice yacht , and they ’re sure enough not akin to riding a motorcycle . But it ’s as uncomplicated as download an app and run down a QR computer code to grab one and go — it ’s no wonder some people are headed to the ER .
Update September 25 , 12:25pm ET : A Bird spokesperson stated that because electric scooters are fresh , “ rubber is our top antecedency . ” They included a stat from the CDC — that 129,000 walker are treated in emergency rooms for automobile crash - related injury in the U.S. every twelvemonth — posit that “ the true danger on our roads is railway car . ” They tot :
“ shuttlecock is commit to partnering with all cities to ensure that the community , and its visitors , safely encompass our low-cost , environmentally friendly transportation pick . We endeavour to meliorate and raise the well - being of our rider and communities through concrete activeness , including : restricting the maximum speed of the vehicle , requiring rider to upload a equipment driver ’s license and reassert they are 18 or old , provide an in - app tutorial on how to ride a Bird and how to park it , and posting clear safety instructions on each Bird . To date , we have pass around more than 50,000 free helmets to rider . to boot , Bird lately formed the Global Safety Advisory Board , which will make , advise , and implement global programs , campaigns , and products to improve the condom of those riding Birds and other e - scooters . ”
[ Washington Post ]
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