Scooter Media Frenzy

 by: Rachel Webb

An estimated five million scooters will be sold this year and according to the U.S. Product Safety Commission 26,000 scooter-related injuries were reported before the end of December 2000! 90 percent of those injuries were to children 14 and under. The Consumer Product Safety Counsel also received reports of two deaths tied to scooter injuries. Several elementary schools are discussing ways to ban kids from riding scooters to school. Newspapers across the country headline that "Scooters Lead to ER Visits"!

Before you buy into the media hype about the dangers of the most popular Christmas gift last year, you should educate yourself by considering the statistics of other play equipment commonly used by these same kids.

In 1999 U.S. Statistical Abstract reported 566,085 bike related injuries. Skate board related injuries from that same year were numbered at 35,751. Doubling those statistics were playground equipment injuries at 73,933 accidents. If you are not sick of statistics yet, consider that there were 63,600 injuries on all-terrain vehicles.

What does this tell us? To wear a helmet! Wearing a safety helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent! These statistics can help educated parents (a.k.a. Consumers) realize that scooters are no more dangerous than other play equipment if you follow basic safety guidelines.

• Snug fitting helmets and protective gear should be worn at all times.
• As with any equipment, children should not ride in the street.
• Scooter should only be used during daylight hours.
• Children ages 5 - 8 should have adult supervision when operating a scooter.
• Scooters are not recommended for children under 4 years of age.
• Ride scooters on smooth, hard surfaces clear of rock and debris.

Instead of trying to ban "potential" hazards I suggest we educate ourselves as parents and our children. Use wisdom and remember safety equipment without buying into media hype.