DOI: 10.33631/sabd.1832841 ISSN: 2792-0542

Injury Severity and Patterns in E-Scooter and Bicycle Accidents: A Two-year Experience from Our Emergency Department

Müge Arslan, İbrahim Sarbay, Melike Mercan Başpınar, Mustafa Çalık
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Aim: Micromobility includes low-speed, lightweight vehicles such as electric scooters and bicycles used for short-distance urban travel. The growing popularity of e-scooters has been accompanied by increasing accident-related emergency admissions and safety concerns. This study aimed to compare injury severity, anatomical injury patterns, and hospital-related costs between patients presenting to a tertiary emergency department (ED) following e-scooter versus bicycle accidents.Material and Methods: This retrospective observational study included 373 trauma-related ED admissions between January 2023 and January 2025, comprising 87 e-scooter (23.3%) and 286 bicycle (76.7%) accidents. Demographic characteristics, accident timing, injury types, Injury Severity Scores (ISS), and cost data were assessed. Group comparisons were performed using the Chi-square test, the independent samples t-test, or the Mann–Whitney U test, as appropriate.Results: Minor trauma accounted for 81.5% of cases and major trauma for 18.5%. Major trauma was slightly more common following e-scooter accidents (20.7%) than bicycle accidents (17.8%), though the difference was not statistically significant. Upper extremity fractures were the most frequent major injury in both groups. Rib and lower extremity fractures occurred more often in e-scooter users, whereas clavicular fractures occurred more frequently among bicycle users. The mean hospital cost per patient was $44.19. Hospitalization and ICU admission rates were comparable between groups.Conclusion: In this urban Turkish ED cohort, most micromobility-related injuries were minor, with low ISS values and modest per-patient costs. Bicycle users more frequently sustained facial, clavicle, and visceral injuries. Despite similar overall injury severity, vehicle-specific injury patterns warrant further multicenter investigation.

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