Howard study finds e-scooter injuries surged 92% in two years

E-scooter crashes sent nearly twice as many people to trauma centers in 2023 as in 2021, a Howard University Hospital study found.

Researchers presented the findings at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Clinical Congress 2026, running Saturday, Sept. 26, through Tuesday, Sept. 29, in Washington. Their analysis of more than 10,000 e-scooter trauma admissions nationwide showed a 92% jump in two years. Admissions rose from 2,311 in 2021 to 4,430 in 2023, the first years a standardized diagnostic code tracked the injuries, the ACS said in a press release.

Few riders wore helmets. Only 12.1% of those admitted had documented helmet use.

The study was led by Quyen D. Chu, a professor of surgery at Howard University Hospital, and co-authored by Edward E. Cornwell III, a professor of surgery at Howard University College of Medicine. WUSA9 first reported the findings, which carry particular weight in a city where shared e-scooter fleets are a fixture of daily commuting.

While 85% of injuries were classified as minor or moderate, 16.2% of patients required intensive care and 11.3% needed surgery. Most patients were male (72.4%) and between 18 and 64 years old (72.5%).

"It's important to recognize that e-scooters are not innocuous vehicles; there is danger to them … Injuries can lead to serious consequences, including a greater than 10% chance of needing an operation," Chu said in the ACS statement.

A companion study from Mass General Brigham for Children in Boston examined more than 2,100 patients 18 and younger. Riders under 16 sustained major injuries at a significantly higher rate than older riders, 65.6% compared with 53.7%, even though younger riders traveled at slower average speeds. Cornelia L. Griggs, a pediatric surgeon at Mass General Brigham for Children and senior author of that study, said a child's developing body appears to matter more than speed in determining injury severity.

The research arrives as D.C. continues to shape its own scooter rules. Under D.C. law, helmets are required only for riders under 16, and shared-fleet operators ban riders younger than 16. The D.C. Council's Public Works and Operations Committee marked up the Micromobility Fire Safety Standards Act on July 8. The outcome of that markup has not been made public in available records.

The research abstracts presented at the conference have not yet undergone peer review, the ACS noted.