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Scooter Safety

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Scooter Safety

Additional Information

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also offers information regarding unpowered scooter-related injuries.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission offers data related to scooter safety and injuries.

 

In November 2000, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued an updated safety standard recommending that all children who ride scooters wear appropriate safety gear. Wrist guards are no longer recommended as part of kids' scooter safety gear. Wrist guards can impair a child's ability to grip the handle and steer the scooter.

Safety Tipsscooter

 
The CPSC and Children's Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati recommend the following safety tips:

  • Always wear proper safety gear, including a helmet and knee and elbow pads to help prevent injuries.
  • A person should wear a helmet each time he/she rides a bicycle, skateboard, scooter, as well as when they are rollerblading and skating, to help protect his/her head. Helmets should meet the following standards Snell Memorial Foundation®, American Society For Testing and Materials (ASTM), and CPSC.
  • Knee pads will help prevent injuries to the knee and elbow.

Most injuries from scooter-related accidents have resulted when a rider falls off of a scooter. According to the CPSC, fractures and dislocations of the arms and hands account for 29 percent of most scooter injuries.

Rules of the Road: What Parents Should Teach Their Kids

Parents should teach children the following rules of the road:

  • Stop at every stop sign. Look left, right, and left again before proceeding.
  • Stop at the end of the driveway. Look left, right, and left before entering the street.
  • Use proper hand signals.
  • Obey traffic signs and signals.
  • Ride scooters on smooth, paved surfaces without traffic.
  • Avoid streets and surfaces with water, sand, gravel or dirt.
  • Do not ride a scooter at night. 

Contact Us

For more information about scooter safety, please contact the Children's Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati Trauma Services Department (trauma@chmcc.org), 513-636-7865.

Rev. 10/09