Is the Use of Segways or E-Scooters in Urban Areas a Potential Health Risk? A Comparison of Trauma Consequences

Abstract

Background and objectives: Electromobility has become increasingly popular. In 2001, Segway personal transporters (Segway) were established for tourists, and e-scooters have been in use since their approval in 2019. The aim of this study was to analyze and compare the types of injuries directly related to the use of Segways and e-scooters, respectively, in a German city and to phrase potential safety advice. Materials and Methods: All patients presenting to our emergency department after Segway incidents were retrospectively analyzed and compared with the prospectively collected cohort of patients following e-scooter incidents. Presented injuries were analyzed by body region and injury severity score (ISS). Epidemiological data were collected. Results: Overall, 171 patients were enrolled. The Segway group included 56 patients (mean age 48 years), and the e-scooter group consisted of 115 patients (mean age 33.9 years). Head injuries (HI) occurred in 34% in the Segway group compared to 52% in the e-scooter group. The ISS was approximately equal for both groups (mean ISS Segway group: 6.9/e-scooter group: 5.6). Conclusions: Since the e-scooter group presented a high number of HI along with a higher likelihood and greater severity of HI, mandatory use of helmets is suggested.

Injury Patterns of Electric-Scooter Related Trauma: A Systematic Review With Proportion Meta-Analysis

“…The pooled incidence of TBI was 3% (I 2 = 89.3%). After sensitivity analysis, 3,8,21,25,27,30,32,33,36,38,40,41 the pooled-weighted proportion of TBI was .66%. However, heterogeneity remained high (I 2 = 80.1%).…”

“…The literature search identified 1033 articles. After screening 165 full-text articles, we identified 25 studies 3,8,21-43 fulfilling all inclusion criteria.…”

“…The pooled incidence of skull fractures was .96% (I 2 = 89%). After sensitivity analysis, 3,27,33,38,40 the pooledweighted proportion of skull fractures was .82% with low heterogeneity(I 2 = 20.9%). The pooled incidence of TBI was 3% (I 2 = 89.3%).…”

“…There was high betweenstudies heterogeneity (I 2 = 95.5%). After detecting the outliers and identifying the studies responsible for heterogeneity through GOSH plot analysis, 3,[23][24][25]27,35,38,42,43 the pooledweighted proportion decreased at 19.5%; however, heterogeneity remained high (I 2 = 84.9%). A pooled proportion of 1.43% was pointed out for intracranial bleeding.…”

Characteristics of E-Scooter-Related Maxillofacial Injuries over 2019–2022—Retrospective Study from Poznan, Poland

“…The introduction and increase in the popularity of electric scooters have had a significant impact on urban micromobility [1,2]. Low cost, convenience in use and wide availability, thanks to the existence of many scooter rental companies, combined with environmentally friendly transport, are among the main factors that raise the interest and use of electric scooters [3].…”