Number of injuries from electric scooter accidents in Malaga already equal those involving motorbikes

Tibia fractures are the most common, although 'dramatic cases' are starting to emerge in the province's hospital neurosurgery departments

Iván Gelibter

Tuesday, 11 July 2023, 15:53 | Updated 18:37h.

Accident injuries involving electric scooters already equal incidents involving motorbikes in Malaga province last year, new figures show.

The e-scooters, which have become more popular in the province in the past few years, were involved in 210 accidents in 2022, almost half of which resulted in injuries, according to official data.

It's a 28% increase compared to the previous year which means accidents involving electric scooters now outnumber those involving motorbikes. There were 164 accidents where motorbikes were involved last year, 46 fewer than those involving scooters.

In the first three months of 2023, the figures are also above those of the last two years, with 43 e-scooter accidents in January, February and March.

There is no data by province in Spain, but according to figures from consultancy firm GFK, in 2019 sales of scooters exceeded 300,000 and forecasts for 2022 are well above this figure. The sector pointed out that there are more than 800,000 electric scooters in Spain. This includes those for rent, which in Malaga are 1,500.

"There is an exponential increase in accidents caused by scooters. We have just operated on a boy with a very complex fracture, of the type which is usually caused by motorbike accidents or falls from a great height," warned Dr Rafael López Arévalo a few days ago, head of the orthopaedic surgery and traumatology department at Hospital Quirónsalud Málaga.

Skull trauma and spinal fractures

The traumatologist said that his team has already had several cases of serious skull trauma and even some cases of spinal fractures. "Every month we perform at least one trauma surgery for this type of accident; without doubt it is growing and alarming," he added.

He pointed out that the incidence of this type of accident is becoming similar to that of motorbikes. They are still a similar vehicle, in which the body is very exposed and even more unprotected and, as they can reach high speeds, "high energy" injuries can occur, "just like on a motorbike", Dr López Arévalo said.

According to experts, about a third of patients who have such accidents suffer a traumatic brain injury, more than twice as many as in motorcyclists. One third end up with a fracture and one in four usually require surgery.

The joints most commonly affected by this type of accident are the wrists and elbows. Tibia and shoulder injuries and head injuries are also common, sometimes even serious.

But the scooter driver is not the only one affected, Dr López Arévalo warned. "We must also take into account injuries to pedestrians or pedestrians caused by being run over, in which cases hip fractures in the elderly are very common and particularly serious," he said.

Tibia fractures

The doctor said the risk of running into a pedestrian is almost more dangerous than the driver toppling, as the pedestrian is caught completely unaware and defenceless, so it is more likely that they will fracture their tibia in the fall.

It is usually young people who drive scooters and have this type of accident, between the ages of 20 and 40, while those who are run over tend to be older people, Dr López Arévalo added.

The situation described by the head of Hospital Quirónsalud can also be seen in public hospitals. Although there is no official data on injuries caused by scooters, the Hospital Clínico calculated between 20 and 30 incidents a week between more serious injuries and minor injuries, while at the Hospital Regional the figures are somewhat lower, although very similar.

David Montes, traumatologist at the Regional Hospital, said that the most common injuries in his department due to scooter accidents are tibia fractures, which account for almost 80 percent of the total. "Right now there is no profile of an accident victim, because it is the same for a 50-year-old as for a 30-year-old, although in the case of young people it tends to be more serious," the doctor said.

Although most injuries are treated by the trauma services of hospitals, more cases are emerging at the neurosurgery department. The head of this unit at the Regional Hospital, Miguel Ángel Arráez, said this is a "worrying" fact, and gave an example of some "very dramatic" accidents that have occurred in recent weeks at the hospital.

Despite there still being more cases of injuries sustained from accidents involving motorbikes than scooters in his department, he said that scooters have entered the scene "incorporating multiple fractures". "There are many factors that increase the risk of accidents and increase the severity of them due to the high speed and the surprise factor," he said.

Dr López Arévalo called for more "severe and restrictive" legislation. The experts also agree that the use of helmets should be compulsory, as well as alcohol and drug tests for drivers. "There should be much stricter control of scooter rentals, everyone should carry insurance, and users should be responsible, over 18 and protect themselves more," they said.

Top 50

Esta funcionalidad es exclusiva para registrados.

Reporta un error en esta noticia