Researchers from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) interviewed more than 100 electric scooter riders who sought medical care at Washington, D.C.’s George Washington University Hospital in 2019. According to their October study, they found that almost 40 percent of those seeking care had been injured during their first time riding an electric scooter. And for more ways you may be in danger, find out which Popular Pieces of Furniture You Should Get Rid of If You Have Them at Home. The researchers also found that 58 percent of the injured riders had been injured while riding on the pavement. Nearly 25 percent suffered injuries because of surface features such as potholes or uneven pavement, and 17 percent were injured because of infrastructure such as curbs, poles, or fences.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb “E-scooters have a harder time handling uneven pavement and other obstacles because of their smaller tires, and their riders may especially benefit from better maintenance of the surfaces they use the most,” the researchers wrote in their study. And for more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. While only 23 percent of electric scooter riders were injured on the road, they were twice as likely to sustain injuries at a moderate to maximal level. More riders on the road “experienced upper extremity injuries and received splinting in the emergency department,” as well. And for more about danger on the road, learn which State Has the Rudest Drivers in the U.S. Many cities, including Denver and San Antonio, have already banned electric scooters from sidewalks altogether, despite the severity of road-related injuries. In a statement, Jessica Cicchino, the IIHS vice president for research and the lead author of the study, said this may be due to the “legitimate concerns that sidewalk riders could crash into pedestrians.” However, in the entire study, there were only six non-riders who went to the ER for electric scooter-related injuries. “The picture is still not clear when it comes to where scooters should be ridden,” Cicchino said. “Our results suggest that moving scooters off the sidewalk could put riders at risk of more severe injuries, but as things stand they might be suffering these lesser injuries more often.” And for more popular items you should stay away from, Trader Joe’s Just Recalled This Product for Posing Life-Threatening Risk.
