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Buying a Razor Scooter? Kids are Scoot Scoot Scooting Into the Emergency Room! by Amy

Do you have a Razor, or are you looking at buying a Scooter for your child this year? Before you buy, be sure to read this important safety information about Scooter Recalls and other scooter-related safety risks!
Do you have a Razor, or are you looking at buying a Scooter for your child this year? Before you buy, be sure to read this important safety information about Scooter Recalls and other scooter-related safety risks!
The Razor Scooter craze is sweeping the nation, making it one of the year’s hottest toys. If your child doesn’t have a Scooter yet, he or she is likely to have one on their Christmas or Birthday list. However, as a parent, you should be aware that there are some major safety issues associated with scooters, and that two specific scooters have recently been recalled for safety issues.

What’s a Scooter?
There are now many brands of scooters available, but the scooter craze was (re-)introduced by the Sharper Image’s Razor Scooter. The term “scooter” here means a thin metal board, about 3-4” wide, with two small wheels in the front and one in the back. On the front is a tall vertical metal bar with a horizontal “T” bar at the top, functioning as a handlebars.

Some versions of the scooter include tiny motors that propel the scooter along as well. These are usually foldable and are growing rapidly in popularity with the college crowd, and many younger riders are following this trend as well.
To ride a scooter, you simply place one foot on the front of the scooter, use the other foot to push and then lift the back foot up onto the scooter, and glide along. The T bar in front is used to steer much like a bicycle; however, unlike a bicycle (or even rollerblades) there are no brakes and no braking pads. Furthermore, the thin razor requires a fairly high level of agility to balance and steer correctly.

Scooter Recalls
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announce this week that there are two scooters being recalled for safety defects. Both scooters have problems with the handlebars, which have resulted in serious injuries to riders (above and beyond the normal risks of riding a scooter). The two recalled scooters are:
• The Kent Kickin’ Micro-Scooter, which was sold at Toys-R-Us and competed directly with the Razor Micro-Scooter. Manufactured by Kent International, there were over 90,000 of these micro-scooters sold this year. The issue leading to the recall is the scooter’s handlebar, which can become loose and come out of the handle unexpectedly during use. Kent is asking owners to call for a free replacement handle with pins to secure the handle in place. Kent can be reached at (800) 451-KENT.
• The Kash ‘n Gold Racer X20 Scooter, which was sold at Discovery and Mervyns stores. Apparently the joint between the handlebars is plastic and can break during use. 7,500 of the Kash ‘N Gold X20 Scooters were sold. The X20 model is being recalled, and owners are asked to return their scooters to the store at which they were purchased. You can also get more information by calling the manufacturer at (800) 354-8785.
Other General Scooter Safety Issues
There have been a dramatic increase in scooter-related injuries in the past year; this is not surprising considering the huge surge in scooter purchases. However, some of the injuries are severe or even fatal, and parents should all be aware of the risks before blindly providing a scooter for their little ones.
Some specific statistics, quoted from the sources below:
• CPSC data show that there were more than 8,600 scooter-related injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms in September alone. Most involved broken arms, legs, wrists or ankles.
• The Consumer Product Safety Commission has documented over 30,000 injuries to scooter riders so far this year. An unfortunate number have been fatal.
• Most injuries resulted when riders fell from the scooter.
• The CPSC estimates that more than 60 percent of injuries could be prevented or reduced in severity if protective gear has been worn.
• Most deaths from scooter and motorcycle accidents are a result of head injuries.
• Nearly 90 percent of the injuries are to children under 15 years of age.
Not all states require helmets for scooter riders yet. Motorized scooters allow drivers of non-legal driving age to whip between cars, on and off of sidewalks and on public streets with little comprehension of the risk they face. Many adults are riding motorized scooters as well, but blatantly disregarding the applicable laws for motorized vehicles, putting both themselves and the drivers that they share the road with in danger.

Scooter Safety Tips
So what can you do about this? Well, first of all, think twice when your little one tells you he/she wants a scooter. How mature is he? What type of scooter does he want? How responsible and how coordinated is he? My almost-six year old son wanted Santa to bring him a “real” scooter for Christmas last year, but I firmly told him that I would tell Santa he was too young for a Scooter. This of course is quite disappointing since most of the kids on the block already have them; however, my son’s safety comes first.

Secondly, realize that a scooter is a cross between a bicycle and rollerblades – safety wise – and use appropriate precautions. A helmet, knee, elbow and wrist pads are all essential for your child’s safety. Certainly not all children wear these pads; however, as you saw above, an unfortunate number of them end up in emergency rooms with broken bones each month and a few of them end up with far more severe or even fatal injuries…primarily head-injuries. Insist on a helmet for your scooter rider. Look for a high-quality scooter with good suspension and brakes, this is not a product you want to skimp on.

Scooters should only be ridden in good light and on smooth surfaces; avoid nighttime, dark areas and wet or uneven surfaces. Don’t let them ride in traffic or dart between cars; the consequences can be deadly.
As a general rule, children ages 8 and under should not use scooters without close adult supervision. (from the Safe Kids Campaign on Scooter Safety).

As a parent, take the time to inspect your child’s scooter regularly for damage, defects, loose parts, cracked or broken areas, sharp edges, etc. Catch any potential problems before an injury occurs.
Make sure your child knows not to ride downhill, and to only allow one rider at a time on his/her scooter.
Riders of motorized scooters should obey all applicable motorized vehicle rules, including holding a valid driver’s license and obeying all street rules. Weaving between cars, riding on sidewalks, turning without stopping at intersections, etc. are all recipes for disaster. Make sure your child knows and obeys the traffic rules, and is wearing a helmet on their motorized scooter.

Overall Recommendations
The Scooter craze is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future. Kids love these, and frankly, they’re a lot of fun. However, this is not a product that parents should buy and hand over to their kids without guidance. The target market for this product is the youth market, who may or may not have the wisdom and judgment to use their scooters safely.
If you as a parent feel that your child has the physical coordination and maturity/judgment to own a scooter, this can be a fabulous toy and a great gift. Don’t be afraid, though, to say no to your child if you don’t think they’re ready, or to insist on safety precautions like helmets and kneepads. Don’t be afraid, either, to tell your pre-teen that they’re not ready to ride a motorized scooter – these scooters require the same judgment and skills as riding a motorcycle because they are driving between cars and obeying traffic signals and rules.

The bottom line is to use good judgment in buying this toy, and to assume responsibility to make sure your child knows, understands and follows good safety rules when using it. If you own one of the recalled scooters above, stop using it immediately. Realize that any of these toys can be dangerous if used incorrectly or recklessly, and that a simple accident can become serious without the proper precautions. It’s our job as parents to identify these precautions, and make sure our kids are safe.
Copyright 2002

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