Electric scooter injuries rose 22% from 2021 to 2022, and head trauma is the most common severe outcome. Helmets and avoiding distractions cut the risk.
Electric scooters have become a genuine safety concern in the U.S. as injuries and deaths climb year after year. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that e-scooter injuries rose 22% in 2022 versus 2021, part of a nearly 21% increase across all micromobility devices. What makes these injuries so serious is the pattern: riders fall, lose control, or hit obstacles, and the most common severe harms are head injuries, fractures, and facial trauma. The good news is that the biggest risk factors — riding without a helmet, using a phone, riding impaired — are all preventable.
How Common Are Electric Scooter Injuries?
Injury counts have climbed sharply. One peer-reviewed study found U.S. e-scooter injuries jumped from 8,566 in 2017 to 56,847 in 2022. Emergency rooms feel the load too: a separate study estimated 70,644 U.S. ER visits for e-scooter injuries from 2014 to 2019, while another counted about 60,554 motor-vehicle-related e-scooter injuries treated in U.S. emergency departments, with roughly 19% involving cars.
Fatalities are harder to track. The CPSC reported it was aware of 233 deaths tied to micromobility devices from 2017 through 2022; a later CPSC document put the count at 206 fatalities from 2017 through 2024. The numbers differ because reporting windows changed and surveillance data are incomplete, so they are likely undercounts.
What Causes Most E-Scooter Crashes?
Falls and loss of control top the list. Riders crash at speed, hit potholes or wet surfaces, and go down hard. Alcohol and drug use, smartphone distraction, and loud music in earbuds appear repeatedly as contributing factors in the research.
The injuries that result are not minor scrapes. Common severe outcomes include:
- Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries
- Extremity fractures and facial fractures
- Injuries from collisions with motor vehicles
One caveat from the literature: most e-scooters require no training to operate, and helmet laws often do not specifically cover them. That combination leaves inexperienced riders exposed.
Are Electric Scooters Safe For Kids?
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that children under 16 should not operate or ride motorized scooters at all. Kids’ developing bodies and judgment make them especially vulnerable to head and facial injuries. The CPSC safety alert echoes the basics: wear a helmet, read the owner’s manual, follow local laws, avoid riding under the influence, stay visible at night, and inspect the scooter before each ride.
How To Reduce Your Risk
Good news: the risk factors are physical laws, not bad luck. The steps below meaningfully lower the chance of serious injury, in order of impact.
| Safety Step | What It Protects Against | How To Do It Right |
|---|---|---|
| Wear a helmet | Head injuries, the most common severe outcome | Use a CPSC-certified helmet; replace after any hard impact |
| Ride sober and focused | Crashes from impaired judgment and reaction delay | Put the phone away; skip earbuds or keep volume low in one ear |
| Inspect the scooter first | Tire blowouts and brake failures at speed | Check the tires, brakes, and steering before every ride |
| Respect conditions | Falls from potholes, cracks, wet or icy surfaces | Slow down on unfamiliar roads; walk the scooter over rough spots |
| Follow local laws | Collisions with vehicles and pedestrian hazards | Know the speed limits, lane rules, and helmet requirements in your city |
| Be visible at night | Being struck by a driver who did not see you | Use the headlight, add a rear light, and wear reflective clothing |
If you are shopping for a scooter and want a model suited to daily street riding with the needed safety features, see our roundup of the best electric scooters for commuting. A well-chosen scooter with good brakes and tires is a meaningful safety upgrade over a cheap rental.
The takeaway is simple. Electric scooters carry real risk — the injury data prove it — but most of that risk comes down to a helmet, a clear head, and a quick pre-ride check.
References & Sources
- Consumer Product Safety Commission. “E-Scooter and E-Bike Injuries Soar: 2022 Injuries Increased Nearly 21%.” Documents the 22% rise in e-scooter injuries and the 21% increase across micromobility devices.
- American Academy of Pediatrics. “Why Children Should Not Ride E-Scooters.” Advises that children under 16 should not operate or ride motorized scooters.
- CPSC. “Micromobility Products-Related Deaths, Injuries, and Hazard Patterns 2017–2024.” Reports 206 fatalities associated with micromobility devices from 2017 through 2024.