E-scooter riders are far more likely to suffer serious head and internal injuries than motorcyclists, according to a major new study – despite riding a machine that needs no test, no training and, for almost all of them, no helmet (or protective gear).
Researchers behind the study, published in Scientific Reports, dug through NHS trauma records for England and Wales alongside rental operator data covering more than 33 million rides.
Compared with motorcyclists, e-scooter riders were more than three times as likely to suffer a traumatic brain injury, more than three times as likely to suffer vascular trauma, and around 1.5 times as likely to injure an internal organ. The only category where they came off better was broken bones, where they had a slightly lower risk.





