E-scooter riders in England and Wales may face a higher risk of brain and internal organ injuries than motorcyclists and cyclists, research suggests.
The study also recommends measures including mandatory helmet legislation, stricter speed limits and changes to e-scooter design, such as deformable handlebar grips and improved braking.
E-scooters are used in urban areas around the world, but reliable data on injuries and risks have been limited.
David Bodansky and colleagues analysed National Major Trauma Registry data from 15,247 patients with moderate-to-severe traumatic injuries across 18 cities in England and Wales between 2020 and 2022.
The patients included 580 e-scooter riders, 7,027 motorcyclists and 7,640 pedal cyclists. Of the e-scooter riders, 87.9 per cent were adults.
Adult e-scooter riders had 3.5 times the risk of traumatic brain injury compared with motorcyclists.
They also had 1.5 times the risk of internal organ injury and 3.2 times the risk of artery or vein injury.
Compared with pedal cyclists, these risks were 1.7, 1.4 and 1.7 times higher respectively.
However, adult e-scooter riders had a 20 per cent lower risk of fractures than motorcyclists and a 10 per cent lower risk than pedal cyclists.
Helmet use was documented among just 5.9 per cent of e-scooter riders, compared with 75.7 per cent of motorcyclists and 45 per cent of pedal cyclists.
The authors suggested this could increase the risk of brain injury among e-scooter riders.
They said e-scooter design could also increase the risk of riders falling headfirst over the handlebars during collisions.
A separate analysis of 23,193 self-reported e-scooter collisions and near misses found male riders had a 36 per cent lower collision risk than female riders.
Female riders were also 2.1 times more likely to report severe injuries.
The authors suggested this could be because most e-scooters are designed for male body proportions and because previous findings show female riders are more likely to ride on pavements and unpaved surfaces.
They said several factors may affect injury risk among e-scooter riders, including helmet use, e-scooter design, urban infrastructure and rider behaviour.
The authors called for further research into these factors and the effectiveness of potential measures to improve e-scooter safety.
