Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 23, 2026
A Test Bed to Examine Helmet Fit and Retention and Biomechanical Measures of Head and Neck Injury in Simulated Impact
Published on: September 21, 2017
A paediatric trauma study of scooter injuries
Christina P H Fong1, Natalie Hood
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Objective:
To investigate the incidence and describe the nature of non-motorized scooter related injuries in children presenting to the ED.
Setting:
Paediatric ED of a metropolitan tertiary referral hospital.
Methods:
A prospective observational study of patients aged under 19 years presenting with injuries sustained while using a non-motorized scooter. Clinicians recorded the data in the patient record.
Main Outcome Measures:
type of injury sustained; period of experience on the scooter; the use of protective gear; the presence of adult supervision; the place of accident; and the patient outcome.
Results:
Sixty-two eligible patients were recruited over an 18 month period. The incidence of scooter- related injuries was 1.3% of all paediatric trauma presentations. There was a fall in scooter injury presentations over the study period; however, this was not statistically significant. The most common injury sustained using a scooter was an upper limb fracture (41.9%). Closed head injury comprised 8.1% of all scooter related injuries. The majority of patients were not wearing protective gear and were unsupervised at the time of their accident. Most patients (79%) were managed in the ED and discharged.
Conclusions:
There has been no significant change in scooter injury presentations over the two summer periods of 2000 and 2001. Children presenting to the ED with a scooter related injury tend to be primary school aged, which may have implications on scooter design, age recommendations and safety guidelines.
