Electric scooter injuries in the US have risen more than fivefold since 2020, with children and head trauma accounting for a growing share of casualties, according to an analysis of the latest available data.
ERideHero analysed electric scooter injury data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission NEISS Database, which collects information from a sample of more than 100 American emergency departments. The figures were used to estimate injury totals across the US. Global data on electric scooter road accidents was sourced manually from reputable news outlets.
The analysis found that estimated US electric scooter injuries increased from 29,344 in 2020–165,735 in 2025, a rise of 5.65 times.
Injuries increased by 74% between 2020 and 2021 as rideshares emerged from a COVID-19 slump, and the total number of shared micromobility trips since 2010 passed half a billion. The number of injuries then rose by 80% from 64,312 in 2023–115,713 in 2024. However, the increase slowed to 43% between 2024 and 2025.
Corinne Kisner, Executive Director of the National Association of City Transportation Officials, said: “Well designed micromobility programmes mean safer, more sustainable and resilient cities. By redesigning streets, lowering speeds, and prioritising bikeway projects, local leaders can ensure that the bike and scooter boom continues to gain momentum, connecting people to the opportunities in their cities.”
Children account for growing share of injuries
Children are making up an increasing proportion of electric scooter injuries. The number of injuries among children under six has risen 1.5 times since 2020, while injuries among those under 11 have increased fourfold, and those under 15 have increased nearly eightfold.
The proportion of all US electric scooter injuries involving children aged 14 or younger rose from 15.3% in 2024–17.5% in 2025. This compares with 10.7% in 2021.
Although injuries among preschool children fell by 37.4% in 2025, casualties among 11–14-year-olds doubled to 18,207.
The 15–24 age group accounted for 23.5% of all injuries, while 61.0% involved people aged 34 or younger.
Daniel Rosenfield, a paediatric emergency physician, noted that some parents seem to have bought their kids e-scooters without realising that they can go from 0–40 km/h in seconds.
Rosenfield said: “From an emotional and cognitive perspective, where you just have the ability to understand where your body is in space, how you can make turns, what’s far ahead and what’s not, it is similar to driving a car.”
Recent research also suggests that riding behaviour could be contributing to injuries involving both riders and pedestrians.
Pedestrian John Stamstad, who was the victim of a hit-and-run scooter incident in Seattle, told King 5 News: “Just a step or two out the doorway I walk out and just boom. I landed right on my hip, I could hear it and feel, and I thought that’s bad. There was a bike lane just like, 10 feet out. I don’t think the person was malicious, but he was negligent.”
Head injuries remain a major concern
Head injuries accounted for 33,404 electric scooter injuries in 2025, representing 20.2% of the total.
Medical experts continue to emphasise the importance of helmets and other protective equipment.
Dr Meghan Martin, a paediatric emergency medicine physician, said: “Kids need to be in appropriate safety gear. They should be wearing helmets, they should be wearing not flipflops or sandals but full foot sneakers, covered shoes, covered toes. They should also be in long pants, long sleeves, in case they were to crash.”
Dr Graham King, St Joseph’s Health Care London Chief of Surgery at the Roth McFarlane Hand & Upper Limb Centre, stated: “With the introduction of e-scooters and e-bikes, we’ve certainly seen different types of injuries than we’ve seen in the past. A lot of facial fractures from falling and hitting your face or head. They can also be open fractures because the force is so high. These things go up to 30 km per hour or more. When they hit the ground, the bones sometimes come through the skin, and have what we call compound fractures.”
Alcohol and drugs linked to injuries
Of the 165,735 electric scooter injuries recorded in 2025, 2,385 involved recreational drugs, and 12,301 involved alcohol.
A study from North Dakota State University found that, compared with adults under 40, children aged 10–17 had 7.5 times greater odds of emergency department visits involving drinking.
Alcohol-related incidents were also associated with a higher proportion of head trauma. Research shows that 68% of alcohol-related electric scooter injuries result in head trauma, compared with 28% among non-alcohol-related injuries.
Male riders account for most injuries
Males accounted for 67.1% of electric scooter injuries in 2025, almost exactly the same proportion as in 2024.
However, research suggests that female riders who use electric scooters are 1.5 times more likely to be involved in an injury crash.
Nichole Morris, director of the University of Minnesota HumanFIRST Laboratory, noted that this “may suggest a need to examine potential e-scooter design issues that may not adapt well to female riders, such as handlebar height, centre of gravity, and required upper body strength.”
Injuries peak during summer
Electric scooter injuries were highest during the summer. There were 21,708 injuries in August 2025, compared with 5,443 in February.
Weekends also recorded the highest totals, with 26,825 injuries occurring on Saturdays and 25,932 on Sundays.
New Zealand recorded the highest global accident density in 2025, with 755 electric scooter road accidents per million people. The country recorded 3,991 annual road accidents among a population of 5.3 million.
WSP research manager Louise Malcolm stated: “There’s no question that e-scooters are convenient, fun, and get you places faster. But they’re also five times more likely than cycling to cause death or serious injury. That’s why it’s so important we get the safety settings right.”
Safety recommendations for riders
The analysis recommends several measures to reduce the risk of electric scooter injuries
- Learn and practise before riding.
- Always wear a helmet and appropriate protective equipment.
- Use cycle lanes where available and follow road rules.
- Slow down and allow more time to respond to pedestrians, vehicles, and potholes.
- Never ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Keep both hands on the handlebars.
Streets are shared spaces, and rider behaviour can affect the safety of pedestrians, other road users, and new electric scooter riders.