Comparison of Injuries Associated With Electric Scooters, Motorbikes, and Bicycles in France, 2019-2022

Abstract

ImportanceElectric scooter (e-scooter) use is increasing in France and in many urban environments worldwide. Yet little is known about injuries associated with use of e-scooters.ObjectiveTo describe characteristics and outcomes of major trauma involving e-scooters.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsA multicenter cohort study was conducted in France using the national major trauma registry between January 1, 2019, and December 20, 2022. All patients admitted to a participating major trauma center following a road traffic crash (RTC) involving an e-scooter, a bicycle, or a motorbike were included.ExposureIncluded patients were compared according to the 3 mechanisms.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was trauma severity as defined by the Injury Severity Score (ISS). Secondary outcomes included the trends of the number of patients per year, a comparison of the RTC epidemiologic factors, injury severity, resources used, and in-hospital outcomes.ResultsA total of 5233 patients involved in RTCs were admitted (median age, 33 [IQR, 24-48] years; 4629 [88.5%] men; median ISS, 13 [IQR, 8-22]). The population included 229 e-scooter RTCs (4.4%), 4094 motorbike RTCs (78.2%), and 910 bicycle RTCs (17.4%). The number of patients treated following e-scooter RTCs increased by 2.8-fold in 4 years (from 31 in 2019 to 88 in 2022), while bicycle RTCs increased by 1.2-fold and motorbike RTCs decreased by 0.9-fold. At admission, 36.7% of e-scooter users had a blood alcohol content higher than the legal threshold (n = 84) and 22.5% wore a protective helmet (n = 32). Among e-scooter RTCs, 102 patients (45.5%) had an ISS of 16 or higher. This proportion was similar for patients with motorbike RTCs (1557 [39.7%]; P = .10) and bicycle RTCs (411 [47.3%]; P = .69). With a proportion of 25.9% (n = 50), patients with e-scooter RTCs had twice as many severe traumatic brain injuries (Glasgow Coma Scale ≤8) as motorbike RTCs (445 [11.8%]) and a proportion comparable to bicycle RTCs (174 [22.1%]). The mortality of e-scooter RTCs was 9.2% (n = 20), compared with 5.2% (n = 196) (P = .02) for motorbikes and 10.0% (n = 84) (P = .82) for bicycles.Conclusions and RelevanceThe findings of this study suggest that trauma involving e-scooters in France has significantly increased over the past 4 years. These patients presented with injury profiles as severe as those of individuals who experienced bicycle or motorbike RTCs, with a higher proportion of severe traumatic brain injury.