Daniel Petrov | May 6, 2024 | Personal Injury
Motor or motorized scooters, also known as e-scooters or dockless scooters, have become a common sight in cities across the country. E-scooter companies like Lime, Bird, and Spin operate in the area, offering dockless e-scooter rentals with little oversight, often leading to injuries.
While commonly viewed as an easy and safe way to get around the city and an alternative to drunk driving or rideshares, motorized scooters can be dangerous for riders and pedestrians alike.
How Common Are Motorized Scooter Accidents In Oceanside?
E-scooters, e-bikes, and similar “micro mobility” devices are a new and growing trend. In most cities like Oceanside, accidents involving these devices are not tracked independently. A surge of accidents has been noticed in Oceanside and surrounding communities. Between January 2020 and July 2023, Oceanside recorded 188 bicycle accidents, 36% of which involved e-bikes.
A growing body of research points to a high rate of injuries for scooter riders.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) found injuries involving micro mobility devices increased by 21% from 2021 to 2022. Since 2017, injuries have increased an average of 23% every year. The CPSC reported 233 known deaths associated with micro mobility devices.
About 36% of these injuries involved children 14 years and younger. Between 2017 and 2022, there were 360,800 ER visits in the U.S. related to micro mobility devices.
Motor Scooters Can Cause Serious Injuries
Injuries related to e-scooters are not always minor. The 2019 study found people hurt in scooter accidents often suffer head injuries and fractures. Nationwide, more than 39,000 people were hurt by scooters between 2014 and 2018. 10% of these victims needed hospitalization. One-third sustained a head injury, twice the rate of bicycle accidents.
It isn’t just scooter riders who are hurt. Pedestrians can also be injured when they are struck by a moving scooter or trip over a parked or abandoned e-scooter.
In 2018, the Austin Public Health Department found an injury rate of 20 injuries per 100,000 e-scooter trips. Half of the riders who were hurt suffered a serious head injury. For 15% of injured riders, a traumatic brain injury was suspected. The study recorded 190 injuries during a three-month period.
The scooter injuries reported included:
- Head injuries (48%)
- Upper limb injuries (70%)
- Lower limb injuries (55%)
- Chest or abdomen injuries (18%)
- Fractures (35%)
Of the riders who suffered a fracture, one in five sustained multiple fractures, usually of the arms and legs. Several suffered skull fractures.
Half of these injured riders suffered serious injuries such as organ damage, nerve damage, ligament or tendon injuries, or serious bleeding.
Oceanside E-Scooter Regulations
In 2024, Oceanside updated its city ordinance to improve the safe operation of electric scooters and bicycles. The new regulations require operators to obey all traffic laws and speed limits. Riders must slow down in areas with high pedestrian traffic.
Scooter riders 17 and younger must wear a helmet. This is an important addition, as studies have found most riders do not wear helmets when operating motorized scooters.
Riders must not exceed 10 mph when riding on sidewalks or engaging in risky behavior that endangers themselves or others. They must also maintain a safe distance from pedestrians on all city trails.
These devices are banned in certain areas of Oceanside. This includes the Oceanside Pier and Plaza, The Strand, and certain sidewalks near businesses.
Violators may be fined $50 or enroll in a bicycle and e-bike safety class organized by the Oceanside Police Department as an alternative.
Neighboring cities like San Diego have passed similar ordinances. Encinitas and Carlsbad have even declared states of emergency due to a rising number of bicycle, e-bike, and e-scooter accidents.
An Oceanside Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help With Your Motor Scooter Accident
You may be entitled to compensation if you have been involved in an accident involving an electric or motorized scooter. Pedestrians may have a claim against a negligent rider. Accidents may also involve product liability if the scooter is dangerous or poorly maintained.
Contact the North County Personal Injury Lawyers at Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
For more information, please contact the Vista personal injury law firm of Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation today.
We serve in North County, CA and its surrounding areas:
Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers – Vista, CA Office
380 S Melrose Dr Ste. 201
Vista, CA 92081
(619) 344-0360
Petrov Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers – Oceanside, CA Office
702 Civic Center Drive Ste. 105
Oceanside, CA, 92054
(619) 678-1016