AUSTIN, Texas — For most people, scooter rides are smooth and uneventful, but a new report shows that, for riders that end up getting hurt, their injuries can be pretty serious.
About 200 people were injured in scooter accidents last year during a three-month period, according to a new study by Austin's Public Health Department.
Researchers looked at data from September through November. During that time, there were more than 900,000 scooter trips. Injuries include skull fractures, as well as arm, shoulder and leg injuries.
Those injuries continue to happen, case in point by Lori Sioson.
Sunday she got out of her car and stepped on the sidewalk in front of Z Tejas on West Sixth Street, when she realized a scooter was coming her way at a high speed.
“There was really nothing I could do except brace myself for the impact,” she said. “So I put my hand out in front and the handlebar hit me in the chest."
The scooter rider asked her if she was OK.
“As I started to ask him, 'Hey, let me get your information,' he hopped on his scooter, turned around and took off,” Sioson said.
She adds that she went to the emergency room and the visit cost her about $700.
She also reported it to police.
RELATED: After another serious scooter crash in Austin, should scooter riders be required to wear helmets?
The crash’s location is one of several spots on city streets where scooters are not allowed on sidewalks.
According to the Austin Public Health’s study, however, most crashes in the fall last year were on the street.
“There may be a perception that a lot of the scooters were involved with collisions with motor vehicles – we didn't find that,” said Jeff Taylor, epidemiology and disease surveillance unit manager for Austin Public Health. "We found that falls were contributing to that. They were losing balance or hitting a curb or hitting a structure or light pole, for example."
More than a third of the injuries happened between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.
Sioson told KVUE she is not against scooters.
“Austin is growing,” she said. “It’s fun stuff to do. I do it too. But I think we need to have some people abide by rules."
The City is considering an ordinance that would let officers ticket scooter riders for speeding and parking violations.
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