Scooter Safety

Today, many scooters are made of lightweight aluminum and have wheels similar to those on in-line skates. As scooters became more and more popular, emergency rooms saw a big jump in the number of scooter-related injuries treated.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that about 40,500 scooter-related injuries were treated in emergency rooms in 2000. Almost 85 percent of these injuries were to children less than 15 years old. Three out of every 10 injuries were fractures, most often to the arm or hand.

Prevention

The following are some tips for safer riding:

• Keep a close eye on children under age 8. Children this age need adult supervision when they are riding.
• Ensure that your children wear the proper safety gear
• A helmet that meets the Consumer Product Safety Commission's standard
• Knee and elbow pads
• Remind your children to ride their scooters on smooth, paved surfaces where there is no traffic. Your children should avoid riding on streets, or surfaces with sand, gravel, water, or dirt.
• Don't let your children ride their scooters at night.

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