Q: My son is constantly getting injured on his scooter. All the kids in the neighborhood ride them. I want him to be safe yet have fun. What can I do to protect him?

A: Scooter sales in the last year have more than doubled. Unfortunately, so has the number of emergency room visits for scooter related injuries. According to a Reuter’s report released last December 14^th, scooter related injuries were nearly 18 times higher in September 2000 then in May 2000. Eighty five percent of reported accidents involve children below the age of 15; 23% of those were under the age of 8. The most common injuries are the arm and hand, 27% are to the head and face and 24% are to the leg or foot. The spinal implications were not measured in these injury statistics. I personally see whiplash and sprain/strain injuries to the neck and or low back in most of the scooter injuries we have treated in our practice.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Consumer Product Safety Commission recommend that all scooter riders wear helmets, knee and elbow pads, and ride only in daylight on smooth, paved surfaces that have no traffic. Also, young children should be closely watched by an adult.

In the case of severe injuries, go to the emergency room, immediately. All children should be checked by a chiropractor secondary to any scooter injury. The earlier restoration to normal balance of spinal structures occurs, the less likely pain and permanent injuries will remain.

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