Electric Scooter Injuries Up Annually in U.S. Children From 2020 to 2024

THURSDAY, April 16, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of electric scooter (e-scooter) injuries is increasing among U.S. children, according to a study published online March 26 in Injury.Mary Beth Howard, M.D., from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues used data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (2020 to 2024) to quantify the burden of e-scooter injuries among pediatric patients.The researchers found that over the study period there were 2,117 pediatric e-scooter injuries, increasing annually, with 42.2 percent occurring in 2024. Seven in 10 injuries occurred in males, while children aged 11 to 14 years made up the largest age group (38.3 percent). Musculoskeletal system (40.4 percent fractures, dislocations, strains, or sprains) or soft tissues (36.7 percent) were the most common injury types. The weighted hospitalization rate was 7.7 percent. Few cases (0.3 percent) resulted in death. Black (16.0 percent) and Hispanic (15.7 percent) children disproportionately accounted for e-scooter injuries, compared to their representation among all pediatric injuries, although race and ethnicity were not statistically significantly associated with hospitalization."Younger adolescents have less-developed motor skills, poorer judgment and limited experience with traffic and road safety, making them more susceptible to injuries," Howard said in a statement.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Electric Scooter Injuries Up Annually in U.S. Children From 2020 to 2024

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