One-third of e-scooter riders who get injured are using the dockless devices for the first time.
That’s according to a report released this week from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Austin Public Health Department.
It looks at close to 200 injured e-scooter riders in the Texas city over a roughly three-month period.
The devices first appeared in Austin in April 2018, around the same time they showed up on Atlanta’s roadways and sidewalks.
“We believe this study is the first to conduct personal interviews directly with injured e-scooter riders,” said Stephanie Hayden, Director of Austin Public Health, in a release.
“Our findings show the risks involved in riding scooters and have significant implications in considering what individual safety measures can help reduce injury.”
The study found that nearly half of injured e-scooter riders sustained injuries to their heads and that some 15 percent of riders showed signs of traumatic brain injury.
It also found that more than one-third of riders blamed their injuries on excessive scooter speed and that less than 1 percent of riders were wearing helmets at the time of injury.
While the report says none of the injured riders died during the tracking period, it does stress that the study “likely underestimates the prevalence of e-scooter related injuries.”
The Atlanta City Council adopted e-scooter regulations earlier this year and has since started tracking injuries.
A recent report shows e-scooter operators reported 40 injuries in February and 48 in March, but the data is incomplete.
In the meantime, e-scooters don’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon–another company obtained permits from the city of Atlanta to operate the devices last month.
