Legalisation of e-scooters in the UK: the injury rate and pattern is similar to those of bicycles in an inner city metropolitan area.

Autor: Bodansky DMS; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK. Electronic address: David.bodansky@nhs.net., Gach MW; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK., Grant M; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK., Solari M; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK., Nebhani N; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK., Crouch-Smith H; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK., Campbell M; Public Health, Liverpool City Council, UK., Banks J; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK., Cheung G; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Liverpool University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Public health [Public Health] 2022 May; Vol. 206, pp. 15-19. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Mar 18.
DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2022.02.016
Abstrakt: Introduction: Rental electric scooters (e-scooters) have become more available to the UK public following amendments to legislation in 2020 affecting rideshare schemes. Existing literature from outside the UK demonstrates a worrying trend of increasing injuries related to their use and non-compliance with suggested safety precautions. An e-scooter rideshare scheme trial began in Liverpool in October 2020. We intended to identify the musculoskeletal injury rate and describe the injuries sustained during this pilot.
Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from electronic patient records on all patients at a major trauma centre covering the whole of the Liverpool rideshare trial site presenting with e-scooter and bicycle musculoskeletal injuries between the trial start on 6th October 2020 and 5th May 2021 and between 6th March 2020 and 5th October 2020. Data on rental e-scooter use were obtained from the rideshare operator.
Results: Fifty-one patients sustained musculoskeletal injuries involving e-scooters during the trial period and six injuries before the trial. Two-thirds of injuries were on rental e-scooters. We calculate an orthopaedic injury rate of 26.1 injuries per million km on e-scooters and 24.1 injuries per million km on bicycles. Over 70% of e-scooter patients had upper limb injuries, over 50% had lower limb injuries and 15.7% of patients required surgery.
Conclusions: We observed an increase in musculoskeletal injuries presenting to hospital during the e-scooter pilot. Rates of musculoskeletal injuries were comparable to rates of injuries sustained on bicycles. E-scooters should be regulated closely and further safety measures introduced to minimise the rate of injuries.
(Crown Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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