Dublin hospital sees e-scooter injuries double in the space of a year
Darragh Mc Donagh
The number of patients attending the emergency department at Tallaght University Hospital with injuries sustained in e-scooter accidents almost doubled in one year, a new study has found.
The proportion of these incidents recorded as alcohol-related also soared from less than 4 per cent to 7 per cent during the same period, according to researchers at the hospital’s department of trauma and orthopaedics.
A previous study conducted by the same doctors had found that 105 patients presented to the emergency department in Tallaght between August 2021 and August 2022.
The latest research shows that this figure nearly doubled to 201 during the subsequent 12 months, with the authors noting a “significant increase” in both the frequency and complexity of e-scooter injuries.
Despite the surge in accidents, the authors said the use of protective equipment among e-scooter riders remained “critically low”, and noted that the involvement of alcohol had nearly doubled.
They explained that e-scooter injuries represented an emerging challenge in emergency departments due to their increasing incidence and the associated resource demands.
The study found that the majority of individuals injured on e-scooters were male, accounting for 63 per cent of patients during the first 12-month period, rising to 83 per cent in the second.
The mean age of injured parties remained stable at 34 years across the two periods, while the use of helmets and protective gear remained worryingly low, increasing from less than 1 per cent to just 3 per cent.
The most common injuries among those presenting to the emergency department in Tallaght were fractures, occurring in 37 per cent of cases, followed by soft-tissue injuries like sprains and lacerations, which accounted for 14 per cent.
Three patients suffered head injuries during the two years, while vertebral column injuries were reported in five cases. Around 13% of patients required hospital admission.
The number of patients requiring referral to physiotherapists or occupational therapists soared from less than 5 per cent to 34 per cent, and wound care needs more than doubled.
The authors of the study, which was published in the latest issue of the Irish Medical Journal, said the findings underscored the need for targeted public health interventions to mitigate injury severity and reduce preventable harm.
“This study demonstrates a marked rise in both the frequency and complexity of e-scooter-related trauma presenting to a tertiary emergency department, with the number of presentations nearly doubling over the two years – reflecting increased usage and associated risk,” they wrote.
The authors called for proactive public health strategies, including stricter enforcement of helmet use, and targeted public education campaigns, as well as reform of urban transport policies.
