Scooter Injuries in Children in a Midwestern Metropolitan Area

OBJECTIVES: We describe the use of nonmotorized scooters and utilization of safety equipment in a Midwestern suburb. METHODS: Schoolchildren in second to sixth grades of a local school district completed a survey distributed by school nurses and teachers in spring 2001, including topics of scooter ownership, riding patterns, and utilization of safety gear. RESULTS: Three thousand eighty-seven surveys were distributed, with a 74.4% response rate; 93.2% of children had ridden a scooter, and 71.4% owned a scooter. Children rode in many locations, with 93% riding on the sidewalk, 86.5% in the driveway, 35.5% in a parking lot, and 20% in the street. Of those owning scooters, 91.2% reported owning a helmet, 61.2% kneepads, 59.4% elbow pads, 43.8% wrist guards, and 35.5% riding gloves. Among those owning scooters, 54.6% reported wearing helmets while using their scooter, whereas 10% or less wore riding gloves, kneepads, elbow pads, or wrist guards. Helmet use decreased as grade increased; 50.7% of all second graders reported wearing helmets, compared with 22.7% of sixth graders (P