UAE: E-scooter riders urged to follow rules, wear helmets as number of injuries rise

Accidents often result from lack of coordination or skill, expert says

Ashwani Kumar

Published: Fri 20 May 2022, 6:08 PM

Some hospitals in the country have reported a rise in the number of injuries caused by e-scooter accidents. Doctors have urged riders to wear helmets, elbow pads and follow traffic rules.

“Electric scooters are a novel, innovative, and rapidly expanding form of transportation. However, we are seeing several new cases of injuries because of e-scooter accidents. Riders should be mindful of several factors before they take scooters to the streets. According to published studies, 80 per cent of injuries occur when the riders fall off the scooter after hitting a bump or ricocheting off the sidewalk, and not from colliding with a vehicle or object,” said Dr Shibu Varghese, orthopaedic sports surgeon at Medeor Hospital, Abu Dhabi.

Dr Varghese noted that riding e-scooters require a good level of coordination and skill that is often found lacking resulting in accidents on the road.

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“Some riders don’t have the core strength or balance to stay upright on e-scooters. They should train themselves well before hitting the streets. Also, these scooters are harder to control at faster speeds. And some have smaller wheels making them less stable on the road.”

Dr Raghavendra K Siddappa, specialist orthopaedics, Aster Hospital, Qusais, said that e-scooter riders must follow safety measures and manage speed on the streets.

“It is likely that people riding e-scooters can suffer from minor injuries to severe injuries following a fall. So, it is crucial that we follow all the safety measures while riding an e-scooter. The most common injuries we normally witness following an e-scooter accident are those affecting the head, neck, and limbs.”

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Dr Raghavendra recently performed a complex surgery to save a limb of a nurse who lost balance and fell from her e-scooter resulting in fracture and severe injuries.

“Injuries can cause contusions, abrasions, concussions, lacerations and fractures. The injuries may cause damage to internal organs as well arising from a severe fall. So, managing the speed and wearing protective gears are critical if you use an e-scooter for your mobility,” he added.