Will the road traffic act reduce electric scooter injuries?: an observational study in Republic of Korea

This study investigated changes in clinical characteristics, including the severity of electric scooter-related damage, before and after revision of the Road Traffic Act that became effective on 13 May 2021. This retrospective single-center observational study was conducted at the Emergency Department (ED) of a tertiary university hospital in Incheon, Republic of Korea. The pre-revision period was set from 13 May 2020, to 30 November 2020, and the post-revision period from 13 May 2021, to 30 November 2021. Patients who visited the ED with E-scooter injuries during the study period were included. Data on patients’ demographics, helmet use, alcohol use, Korean Triage and Acuity Scale, diagnosis and location of the injury, stay duration at ED and ED outcomes were collected and analyzed. The primary outcome was a change in Injury Severity Score between the pre-and post-revision periods. A total of 100 patients were included, and the results showed no significant difference between the two periods in Injury Severity Score (3.00 vs. 2.50, p = 0.607), helmet use (1.9% vs. 2.1%, p = 1), alcohol use (5.8%vs. 8.3%, p = 0.708) and stay duration at ED (157.00 vs. 183.00, p = 0.964). The facial area was the most common area of injury during both periods. Despite revision of the Road Traffic Act since May 2021, no significant difference was observed before and after the revision in the behavior of E-scooter users and severity of injuries. We believe that continuing public campaigns, encouraging the use of personal protective gear, promoting responsible attitudes and implementing stricter traffic laws might help reduce E-scooter-related injuries.

Electric scooter; Emergency; Injury severity score; Road traffic act; Hemelts; Alcohol

[1] State of California VEHICLE CODE Section 407.5. 2017. Available at: https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_ displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH§ionNum=407.5 (Accessed: 22 May 2022).

[2] Jun-tae K. Driver’s licence to be required for electric scooter users. The Korea Herald. 2021. Available at: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210511000713 (Accessed: 22 May 2022).

[3] Current status of E-scooter in Incheon. 2021. Available at: http://www. incheonnews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=404133 (Accessed: 22 May 2022).

[4] Park J, Lim T. Korean triage and acuity scale (KTAS). Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine. 2017; 28: 547–551.

[5] Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine. AIS. 2022. Available at: https://www.aaam.org/abbreviated-injury-scale-ais/ (Accessed: 16 January 2022).

[6] Jung K, Lee JC, Kim J. Injury severity scoring system for trauma patients and trauma outcomes research in Korea. Journal of Acute Care Surgery. 2016; 6: 11–17.

[7] Tavakkoli M, Torkashvand-Khah Z, Fink G, Takian A, Kuenzli N, de Savigny D, et al. Evidence from the decade of action for road safety: a systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions in low and middle-income countries. Public Health Reviews. 2022; 43: 1604499.

[8] DiMaggio CJ, Bukur M, Wall SP, Frangos SG, Wen AY. Injuries associated with electric-powered bikes and scooters: analysis of us consumer product data. Injury Prevention. 2020; 26: 524–528.

[9] Kim JY, Lee SC, Lee S, Lee CA, Ahn KO, Park JO. Characteristics of injuries according to types of personal mobility devices in a multicenter emergency department from 2011 to 2017. Medicine. 2021; 100: e24642.

[10] Haworth NL, Schramm A. Illegal and risky riding of electric scooters in Brisbane. Medical Journal of Australia. 2019; 211: 412–413.

[11] Sone JY, Kondziolka D, Huang JH, Samadani U. Helmet efficacy against concussion and traumatic brain injury: a review. Journal of Neurosurgery. 2017; 126: 768–781.

[12] Chikritzhs T, Livingston M. Alcohol and the risk of injury. Nutrients. 2021;13: 2777.

[13] Romano E, Fell J, Li K, Simons-Morton BG, Vaca FE. Alcohol-related deaths among young passengers: an analysis of national alcohol-related fatal crashes. Journal of Safety Research. 2021; 79: 376–382.

[14] Asgarian FS, Namdari M, Soori H. Worldwide prevalence of alcohol in fatally injured motorcyclists: a meta-analysis. Traffic Injury Prevention. 2019; 20: 685–689.