Retrospective Study to Compare Injury Patterns and Associations in 170 Patients Following Electric Scooter and Bicycle Accidents in Turkey.

Abstract

BACKGROUND Bicycle use has long been encouraged in urban areas in Turkey as a safe and sustainable mode of transport, supported by dedicated bicycle paths and traffic regulations. However, the recent rise in the popularity of electric scooters (e-scooters) has introduced new safety concerns, leading to injuries among riders, pedestrians, and other road users. This retrospective study compared injury patterns and associated factors in 170 patients involved in e-scooter and bicycle accidents in Eskişehir, Turkey. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study included 170 patients (54 e-scooter users and 116 bicycle users) involved in accidents between April 2021 and December 2023. Data were retrospectively obtained from hospital records and forensic reports of patients referred by the prosecutor's office to Eskişehir Osmangazi University. Ethical approval was secured, and all analyses were performed using SPSS version 27. RESULTS E-scooter users were significantly younger than bicycle users (mean age: 21.96 vs 30.03 years, P=0.001) and included a higher proportion of female riders (24.1% vs 12%, P=0.019). Motor vehicle collisions were more common in e-scooter accidents (68.5% vs 48.3%, P<0.001), and alcohol consumption was significantly higher among e-scooter users (18.5% vs 4.3%, P=0.006). While head injuries were more frequent among e-scooter users, fractures and dislocations were predominantly observed in bicycle users (P=0.020). CONCLUSIONS The findings from this study underscore distinct safety concerns between e-scooter and bicycle riders, emphasizing the urgent need for targeted safety interventions to mitigate the rising risk of urban e-scooter accidents.