By Charles Pekow — Are you safer on a bicycle or an electric scooter? The answer isn’t clear, but a study from Finland suggests cyclists are less likely to be injured. Researchers note, however, that the difference may reflect user behavior more than the vehicles themselves.
In Helsinki, injured e-scooter riders were significantly younger, with an average age of 33, compared with 47 for injured bicyclists. For every 100,000 rides, 7.8 e-scooter riders required emergency care, versus just 2.2 bicyclists.
A cyclist and scooter rider on the Bancroft Way protected bike lane in Berkeley. Governor Newsom’s budget reverses past cuts to Active Transportation, but doesn’t go far enough according to CalBike. Photo by Dave Iltis
Risk factors appear to play a role: e-scooter riders were more likely to ride under the influence of alcohol and less likely to wear helmets. Head injuries were more common among scooter users, while bicyclists were more often treated for torso injuries.
Read the study: Comparing the Characteristics of Electric Scooter and Bicycle Injuries: A Retrospective Cohort Study at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/394100001_Comparing_the_characteristics_of_electric_scooter_and_bicycle_injuries_a_retrospective_cohort_study
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Charles Pekow is an award-winning Washington correspondent who has written about bicycling for years in publications such as the Washington Post, Bicycle Times, Dirt Rag, SPOKES, etc. as well as Cycling West/Cycling Utah. He also writes frequently on environmental issues and beer, among other topics. Weather permitting, you’ll find him most weekends and some summer evenings astride a bicycle in a park. He is also a charter member of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.