Electric scooter and e-bike injuries jump big in past four years, CPSC says | Saint-Louis news headlines

(CBS NEWS) – It is a good idea to wear a helmet when taking a ride on electric scooters, e-bikes, hoverboards and other so-called micro-mobility products. That’s because injuries resulting from their use have increased by 70% over the past four years, causing nearly 200,000 emergency room visits, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Considered to be environmentally friendly (studies have shown that it is not exactly the case) and cost-effective short-haul modes of transportation, battery-powered products were part of the equation in more than 190,000 emergency room visits and at least 71 deaths from 2017 to 2020, according to the federal agency.

Injuries involving the products have been on the rise, leading to 34,000 hospital trips in 2017 and 57,800 last year, the CPSC noted in a recent report. Release highlighting data from a report that has not yet been released.

Electric scooters are the biggest culprit in the highest number of injured people, accounting for 25,400 emergency room visits last year, three times the 7,700 emergency room trips involving electric scooters in 2017, the CPSC said.

Small, fast, and quiet electric scooters can be a fun and efficient way to get around, but riding and crashes are dangerous. may result in the event of serious injury or death.

This danger extends to pedestrians, a danger illustrated by the death of actress Lisa Banes after being hit by an electric scooter while crossing the street in New York in June

In a separate report On the subject, released last year, the CPSC found that breakage issues were a common problem in crashes involving electric scooters, while fire was a common risk with hoverboards.

The the hoverboard craze that swept the country in 2015 and 2016 landed more than 26,000 children in hospital emergency rooms during this time, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics.

Last year’s CPSC findings revealed multiple deaths that occurred after e-bike and e-scooter riders were struck by other vehicles, including trucks. A 43-year-old electric cyclist died of head injuries after hitting a pedestrian in a crosswalk in August 2019.

None of the products require a driver’s license to operate, and app-based services offering electric scooters and electric bikes for rent have increased their availability and use, resulting in parking and other hassle for many cities and communities.

The CPSC works with ASTM International and Underwriters Laboratories to develop and improve voluntary standards to address the mechanical, electrical and human factors that make products unsafe.

Beyond wearing a helmet, the agency advises electric scooter riders to check their scooters for damage, which can lead to loss of control and accidents.

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