A close look at personal injuries related to micro-mobility devices

The Consumer Product Safety Commission just released an in-depth report on personal injuries, deaths and hazards linked to the usage of micro-mobility devices. The report looked at data from 2017 to 2021 and  found that personal injuries and fatalities have been growing significantly over the last 5 years.

Hoverboards and e-scooter accidents accounted for almost 90% of all visits to the Emergency Department

It is estimated that 34,000 people visited the Emergency Room in 2017, after they suffered personal injury associated with the usage of a micromobility device.

In 2021, this number jumped to 77, 200 as more more and more people starting to use such devices to commute to school or to work or for short travel from one destination to the other.

Rental programs of these devices have also made then more accessible to everyone.

Globally over the 5 year-period under review, a total of 267,700 people visited the emergency room after being injured in an accident associated with a micromobility device.

Among those 267,700 injuries, 117,600 were injuries sustained in e-scooter accidents and 121,300 were injuries sustained in hoverboards accidents. Injuries sustained in e-bike accidents represented only 11% of the micro mobility devices injuries during the 2017 to 2021 period.

Some micromobility accidents were fatal

A total of 129 people died in micromobility related accidents between 2017 and 2021. This number has been increasing steadily every year, starting at 5 in 2017 and reaching 48 in 2021. Out of the 129 fatalities, 68 were related to e-scooters, 53 to e-bikes and 8 to hoverboards. Collision with motor vehicles and and loss of control of the e-scooter or e-bike were the most common e-scooter and e-bike fatalities while half of the hoverboard fatalities were caused by fire accidents.

Fire hazard caused by defective battery remain the most common hazard for hoverboard owners while brake problems and fire hazard were the most common problems reported for e-bikes. Brake problems were the most common hazard for e-bike riders.

Read the entire report