“If you look at the trend toward an increasing number of injuries through October 2018 and map it out toward today, we’re seeing more and more injuries. It’s a real-time issue we’re trying to get a handle on,” said Dr. Kate Douglass, director of the George Washington University Center for Injury Prevention and Control in Washington, D.C., who wasn’t involved in the study.

Local factors in different cities, such as high-traffic areas and new motorized device regulations, lead to different trends in injuries, Douglass said. Some areas allow people to ride them on the sidewalk, but others require users to ride scooters on the street. Different limitations around when, where and how the scooters can be used, also affect what types of injuries occur.

It’s important for users to know how to ride the devices before taking them on public roads, Douglass added.

“We often see people who hit potholes or curbs and end up fracturing their arm or elbow because they fall,” she said in a phone interview. “Use a safety check and practice your brakes and turns. Make sure you know how to use it before you operate it.”