Safety concerns rise with rental scooters' popularity

Rental scooters may be a convenient way to travel and avoid traffic, but doctors warning that a high volume of riders are ending up in hospital emergency rooms. A study by UCLA researchers found that 40 percent of people who were injured while riding an electric scooter sustained head injuries.  Most occurred because the rider fell off the scooter.

Dr. Frederick Rivara, a pediatrician at Harborview Medical Center and investigator at the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center, says many of these head injuries can be avoided simply by wearing a helmet. He also observes that more people are riding bikes and scooters without helmets, as those rental transports typically do not come with protective gear.