Anti scooter media frenzy

An estimated five million scooters will be sold this year, and according to the US Product Safety Commission, 26,000 scooter-related injuries were reported before the end of December 2000! 90 percent of those injuries were to children under the age of 14. The Consumer Product Safety Council also received reports of two deaths related to scooter injuries. Several primary schools are discussing ways to ban children from riding scooters to school. Newspapers across the country headline “Scooters Drive Emergency Room Visits”!

Before you believe the media hype about the dangers of last year’s most popular Christmas present, educate yourself by considering the statistics of other play equipment commonly used by these same kids.

In 1999, the US Statistical Abstract reported 566,085 bicycle-related injuries. Skateboard-related injuries that same year were counted at 35,751. Doubling those statistics there were playground equipment injuries in 73,933 accidents. If you’re still not sick of the stats, consider that there were 63,600 ATV injuries.

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

• Tight-fitting helmets and protective gear must be worn at all times.
• As with any team, children should not ride on the street.
• The scooter should only be used during the day.
• Children ages 5-8 must have adult supervision when operating a scooter.
• Scooters are not recommended for children under 4 years of age.
• Ride scooters on smooth, hard surfaces free of rocks and debris.

Instead of trying to ban “potential” dangers, I suggest we educate ourselves as parents and as children. Use wisdom and remember safety gear without buying the media hype.