The number of patients attending the emergency department at Tallaght University Hospital due to e-scooter accidents almost doubled over a single year, a new study has found.
The proportion of incidents linked to alcohol also rose, from under 4 per cent to 7 per cent, according to researchers in the hospital’s department of trauma and orthopaedics, reports Breaking News.
A previous study by the same team recorded 105 patients presenting with e-scooter injuries between August 2021 and August 2022.
The latest research shows that figure jumped to 201 in the following 12 months, with the authors noting a “significant increase” in both the frequency and complexity of injuries, reports Breaking News.
Despite the rise in accidents, the study found that protective gear use among riders remained “critically low”, and the involvement of alcohol had nearly doubled.
The researchers highlighted that e-scooter injuries are becoming an increasing challenge for emergency departments due to both the number of cases and the resources required to treat them, reports Breaking News.
Most injured riders were male, accounting for 63 per cent of patients in the first year and 83 per cent in the second.
The average age of injured parties stayed consistent at 34 years, while helmet and protective gear usage remained very low, rising only from less than 1 per cent to 3 per cent, reports Breaking News.
Fractures were the most common injury, occurring in 37 per cent of cases, followed by soft-tissue injuries such as sprains and lacerations, at 14 per cent.
Three patients sustained head injuries, and five had vertebral column injuries. About 13 per cent of patients required hospital admission, reports Breaking News.
Referrals to physiotherapy or occupational therapy increased sharply from under 5 per cent to 34 per cent, while wound care needs more than doubled.
The study, published in the Irish Medical Journal, emphasizes the need for targeted public health measures to reduce the severity of injuries and prevent harm.
The authors wrote: “This study demonstrates a marked rise in both the frequency and complexity of e-scooter-related trauma presenting to a tertiary emergency department, with the number of presentations nearly doubling over the two years – reflecting increased usage and associated risk,” reports Breaking News.
They called for stricter enforcement of helmet use, targeted public education campaigns, and reforms to urban transport policies to mitigate risks.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
