Analysis of Road Traffic Accidents Involving Standing Electric Scooters Reported in Newspapers in Italy

Objective: As the use of electric scooters increased in Italy in the last years, we aimed to estimate the burden of accidents caused by this micro-mobility vehicle and identify characteristics, severity, and type of injuries.

Methods: We conducted a case series analysis of news reports about electric scooter crashes occurring in Italy from January 1, 2019 to September 30, 2020. Events were included when a road traffic accident involved an electric scooter and caused damages or injuries to the driver or others.

Results: We identified 96 road accidents involving electric scooters in Italy. The mean age of patients was 30 ± 16 years, and 79% (n = 71/90) were male. Of the 96 patients, only two (2%) were driving an electric scooter with a helmet, and three (3%) were driving while intoxicated. In 68% (n = 62/94) of cases, the incident was caused by a collision with another vehicle or a pedestrian, and 30% (n = 18/96) were transported with life-threatening injuries to the emergency department. In 15% (n = 14/96), the emergency medical service physician was dispatched to the scene. Head trauma was the most common injury (60%, n = 32/53). Patients who had life-threatening conditions were more likely to have head trauma than those who did not (82% [n = 9/11] vs. 55% [n = 23/42], P = 0.10). Polytrauma was significantly more common in patients with life-threatening conditions than in patients with no life-threatening conditions (36% [n = 4/11] vs. 5% [n = 2/42], P < 0.01). Fifteen percent of patients (n = 12/81) were admitted to the intensive care unit; only one death was reported.

Conclusion: Road traffic accidents involving electric scooters often result in serious injuries, including head trauma and polytrauma, necessitating the involvement of an emergency medical service physician and intensive care unit admission in a non-negligible percentage of instances.