Electric scooters have become a nightmare for children in Croatia! The number of hospitalizations of children due to falls from these devices has skyrocketed by a staggering 285%, and the duration of treatment has increased by 143%! Yes, you read that right! Five times more severe brain injuries, including concussions and skull fractures, are the shocking figures revealed by doctors at the Children’s Clinic in Zagreb. The worst part? A whopping 40% of injured children are under 14 years old, which is the legal age limit below which riding electric scooters is prohibited! How is it possible that children are riding scooters when it is illegal? Do parents even realize what they are getting their kids into?
Doctors warn that these injuries are not trivial. Some kids have been left with permanent disabilities – weakness in arms and legs, hearing loss, lasting psychological issues. One girl even permanently lost her hearing after a fall! Imagine how devastating that is for a child and their family!
The cause? Ignorance, disregard for the law, riding without helmets, often two people on one scooter, and lack of knowledge of traffic rules. Police and doctors urge parents not to buy scooters for children under 14 and to teach them basic safety rules. Fines for parents are laughably low – around 30 euros, which is a drop in the bucket compared to the health risks for children.
Experts call for urgent regulation – limiting scooter power, mandatory helmet use, education for children and parents, and stricter control of sales to minors. Until this happens, the number of severe injuries will only rise.
If you think riding an electric scooter is a safe toy, think again! This statistic is a wake-up call for all of us. Got a crazy scooter story? Or think this is all blown out of proportion? Drop a comment and let’s see who dares to ride without a helmet!
