@article{ref1,
title="The association between electric scooter riding position and injury characteristics",
journal="Journal of safety research",
year="2023",
author="Shichman, Ittai and Shaked, Or and Factor, Shai and Ashkenazi, Itay and Elbaz, Etay and Aviv Mordechai, Reut and Khoury, Amal",
volume="84",
number="",
pages="347-352",
abstract="BACKGROUND: The popularity of electric scooters (e-scooters) and the shared e-scooter services as new means of transportation worldwide led to high numbers of injuries requiring emergency department (ED) visits. Private and rental e-scooters have different sizes and capabilities, offering several possible riding positions. While the rising use of e-scooters and their associated injuries have been reported, little is known about the influence of riding position on injury characteristics. The purpose of this study was to characterize e-scooter riding positions and their related injuries. <br><br>METHODS: E-scooters related ED admissions were retrospectively collected between June 2020 and October 2020, in a level-I trauma center. Demographics, ED presentation data, injury information, e-scooter design, and clinical course were collected and compared according to e-scooter riding position (&quot;foot-behind-foot&quot; vs &quot;side-by-side&quot;). <br><br>RESULTS: During the study period, 158 patients were admitted to the ED with e-scooter related injuries. The majority of riders used the foot-behind-foot position (n = 112, 71.3 %) compared to the side-by-side position (n = 45, 28.7 %). Orthopedic fractures were the most common injuries (n = 78, 49.7 %). &quot;Foot-behind-foot&quot; group had a significantly higher fracture rate compared to &quot;side-by-side&quot; group (54.4 % vs 37.8 % within group, respectively; p = 0.03). <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Riding position is associated with different injury types, with orthopedic fracture rates significantly higher in the more commonly used &quot;foot-behind-foot&quot; riding position. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: These study findings suggest that the common e-scooter narrow-based design is considerably more dangerous, calling for further research to introduce safer e-scooter designs and update recommendations for safer riding positions.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0022-4375",
doi="10.1016/j.jsr.2022.11.009",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2022.11.009"
}