“Are e-scooters really that dangerous?” 

By Mary Beth Howard, MD, Johns Hopkins Medicine  

A 12-year-old boy came into the emergency department after falling off an electric scooter. He’d been riding home from a friend’s house with no helmet or protective gear, hit a curb, flipped forward, struck his head, and landed on his arm. The CT scan showed a small intracranial hemorrhage, and his forearm was fractured. As we talked, his mother asked a simple question: “Are these things really that dangerous?”  

“Are e-scooters really that dangerous?” 

It’s a question more clinicians are hearing. Over the past few years,  electric scooters and e-bikes have become a common way children and adolescents move through their neighborhoods. They’re fast, affordable, and easy to access. But they’re also sending more patients to clinics and emergency departments. In a recent national analysis, pediatric e-scooter injuries increased each year from 2020 to 2024, with younger adolescents, especially boys, most affected.  

Most injuries aren’t life-threatening—but they aren’t trivial either. Fractures, lacerations, and head injuries are common, and about one in 13 children requires hospitalization. Behind each injury is a moment—often preventable—where safety wasn’t part of the conversation.  

The missed moment  

What stands out isn’t just the rise in injuries, but missed opportunities for prevention. We counsel families about car seats, safe sleep, and bike helmets. But for many clinicians, e-scooter and e-bike safety hasn’t yet become routine anticipatory guidance. These devices feel new, evolving, and sometimes outside our usual scripts.  

But they’re here, and increasingly used for transportation and recreation. Importantly, not all children are equally affected. Our work suggests that Black and Hispanic children experience a disproportionate share of these injuries, likely reflecting differences in access, environment, and infrastructure rather than individual behavior alone. This means whether and how we counsel matters.  

Short, consistent conversations can shift behavior. Here’s are six suggestions: 

1. Normalize the conversation. 

Ask parents, “Does your child ride e-scooters or e-bikes?” Making this routine reduces stigma and opens the door.  

2. Focus on the highest-yield message: helmets.

Helmet use is low, but strongly associated with reduced head injury. A simple, direct recommendation can save a life. 

3. Be specific, not generic.

Instead of “be careful,” try:  

“Ride on sidewalks or protected paths when possible.”  

“Don’t at night or in traffic.”  

“Only one rider per scooter or bike.” 

4. Tailor to developmental stage.

Younger adolescents (11–14) are at the highest risk. Frame guidance around decision-making and independence, not just rules.  

5. Acknowledge real-world constraints.

Not every child has access to safe riding spaces or protective gear. When possible, connect families to community resources or local programs that can provide safety gear. 

6. Leverage the moment.

Injury visits are powerful times to have this discussion, but so are well-child visits, urgent care visits, and even unrelated encounters. The best counseling is brief, timely, and repeated.  

This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.