Segway Scooter Accidents and Injuries Becoming More Common: Report

Following the death of the owner of the Segway company last week in a tragic accident, U.S. researchers have released a new study that highlights the risk of injury, particularly a traumatic head injury, that can occur as a result of the use of the motorized scooters. 

On September 26, the body of Jim Heselden, 62, owner of the company that makes the Segway motorized scooter, was found in a river in northern England. It is believed that he died as a result of a Segway accident when his scooter went off a cliff. The next day a study was published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine medical journal highlighting the increasing number of Segway injuries (pdf) that require emergency room treatment.

Researchers from the Department of Emergency Medicine at George Washington University in D.C. looked at 41 cases of injuries from Segway scooter accidents recorded in hospital registries from April 2005 through November 2008. They found that the number of injuries is growing as more Segways are sold and that the most common and serious injuries are traumatic head injuries.

Segway scooters are controlled by a software-guided network of sensors and control systems. It is designed to detect changes in terrain and body position.

Researchers said that only seven of the 41 patients were wearing a helmet at the time of the accidents, as there are no laws requiring people to wear helmets while riding the motorized scooters.

Traumatic brain injury is one of the leading causes of death and permanent disability world wide, with 1.4 to 1.7 million people suffering a traumatic brain injury each year. Such injuries often result in a victim requiring extensive medical treatment and permanent around-the-clock care.

The researchers said that the severity of accidents and injuries on the scooters is significant, and suggest that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) further investigate Segway injury risks.