As the popularity of e-scooters continues to rise, so too does the number of injuries.
That is according to Diana Craiovan, Program Lead for Hospital Data Advancement and Engagement with Canadian Institute for Health Information. The Institute recently released a report on the leading causes of injury-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits in Canada. Craiovan says the report shows a 32 per cent increase in e-scooter injuries from 2022/23 to 2023/24.
"Most of these e-scooter injuries causing hospitalizations have occurred in the more densely populated provinces," she clarifies.
And, what demographic leads the way in e-scooter hospitalizations?
"One other key finding is that males between the ages of 18 and 64 make up the largest group of e-scooter-related hospitalizations," she points out.
The report indicates that in 2023/24, there were 996 injury hospitalizations from scooters. Of those, 376 were men aged 18 to 64, and 197 were women aged 18 to 64. The next highest age group was the five- to 17-year-olds. There were more injuries from the 85+ age group (38) than zero to four age group (17).
One of the leading causes of injury hospitalizations across Canada is all-terrain vehicle use. In 2023/24, there were 2,727. More than half of those came from men aged 18 to 64.
"ATVs do make up one of the leading sport-related injuries," says Craiovan. "It is concerning, and I think that this could be preventable taken the right precautions."
And finally, the report showed that hospitalizations for sport-related brain injuries rose from 1,600 to 1,700 between 2022/2023 and 2023/2024. Concussions accounted for 30 per cent of sport-related brain injury hospitalizations.
"Some unintentional injuries are predictable and preventable, and these can be avoided if the necessary safety precautions are taken prior to engaging in these activities," she says. "In relation to concussion injuries, it's important to keep in mind all the protective gear that is available and make sure that we keep ourselves safe when we engage in any activities."
Craiovan says their intent for releasing this data is to shed light on hospitalization trends related to injuries and trauma within Canada.