IN THE PAST year, electric, shared scooters have sprouted like weeds on corners in cities as varied as San Diego, Detroit, and Barcelona. Riders have hopped aboard, neighborhood groups have objected to the scooter companies’ business models, and policymakers are contemplating rules. But another group—emergency-room doctors—is raising an important question: Are these things safe?
New research suggests that, yes, people are getting hurt on scooters. (And worse: At least six people have died in the US in scooter-related crashes.) The study, a joint effort between the public health department of Austin, Texas, and the Centers for Disease Control, took a close look at scooter injuries in the scoot-soaked city between September and November 2018.
