• Eyal Gan-El, William Ngatchou Djomo, Andreea Monica Pascu Ciobanu, Leonard Kaufman, Francis Ndé Djiélé, Maarten Ulrix, Bernard Kreps, Alain Plumacker, Stefano Malinverni, Magali Bartiaux, and Pierre Youatou Towo.
• Saint-Pierre University Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), CHU Saint-Pierre, Rue Haute 322, 1000, Brussels, Belgium. eyal.gan-el@ulb.be.
• Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. 2022 Dec 1; 48 (6): 484748554847-4855.

PurposeThis study aimed to describe the demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals involved in electric scooter (E-scooter) accidents and the factors associated with these incidents.MethodsWe conducted a prospective observational study of individuals involved in E-scooter accidents admitted to the emergency department of Saint-Pierre Hospital. The highest abbreviated injury score above or equal to two classified the injury as significant. Injuries during working hours were compared to those during off-working hours.ResultsDuring the study period from June 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, 170 individuals were admitted to the emergency department following an E-scooter accident. In 73.5% of the accidents, rented E-scooters were involved. Of the patients, 68.2% were male, 6.4% wore helmets, and 30% were under the influence of alcohol. Upper limb and cranial injuries were more frequently severe (abbreviated injury score ≥ 2) than other injuries (p < 0.05). Accidents during off-working hours were significantly related to alcohol consumption (p < 0.001), non-usage of helmets (p < 0.01), head and neck injuries (p < 0.01), and rented E-scooters (p < 0.01). Alcohol consumption was itself associated with the non-usage of helmets (p < 0.05) and major head and neck injuries (p < 0.001).ConclusionGiven the increasing popularity of E-scooters as an alternative mode of transportation, our study can inform public policy on patterns of injuries associated with E-scooter utilization for future injury prevention policies. Using helmets, avoiding alcohol consumption, and regulating use at night can improve outcomes in E-scooter accidents.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04778332.© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany.

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