In Lviv, over the past 4.5 months, 275 people who were injured in road accidents involving electric scooters have sought medical help. According to the city health department, half of them are children, that is 137 minors.
Some of the injured made their own way to hospital, while others were brought in by emergency medical teams. In total, 76 children and 3 adults were admitted to hospital.
According to doctors, after such accidents children most often suffer broken arms and legs, severe facial injuries and traumatic brain injuries. In complex cases, treatment lasts from six months to a year, requires several operations and the insertion of metal structures.
In 99% of cases children ride without any protective gear. For an unprotected child falling at such speed, the injury is massive. In a single moment, a healthy, active teenager can be left with a severe disability or even die. This is not the result of a long-term illness — it is a split second that completely changes the life of an entirely healthy child — Oleksandr Kalinchuk
As emphasised by the medical director of the St Nicholas Hospital, Oleksandr Kalinchuk, most of these incidents could have been prevented by following safety rules and using protective equipment, especially helmets.
Earlier, Lviv had already tightened the rules for using electric scooters and other micromobility devices. The new requirements include a minimum user age of 16, mandatory helmets, a speed limit of 15 km/h in potentially dangerous areas and orderly parking.
The city health department notes that these measures are linked to the rising number of injuries associated with the use of electric scooters, especially among children.