(COLORADO SPRINGS) — A scooter driver was hospitalized with serious injuries after allegedly causing a crash in Colorado Springs over the weekend. Police reported that drugs and alcohol were not factors in the crash, but the scooter driver was cited for several traffic offenses.

FOX21 spoke with UCHealth to understand the prevalence of electric scooter injuries. Experts in Pueblo noted that they don’t see many serious injuries, but there have been a couple of deaths related to scooter accidents in recent years.

Brittney Surniak, a Trauma Program Manager at UCHealth Parkview, emphasized the importance of wearing helmets, noting that head injuries from scooter accidents can be severe.

“I can tell you the deaths were related to head injuries, hitting their heads without a helmet. A helmet is a huge thing. A lot of people forget that these kind of injuries can cause you to hit your head. So, a helmet is definitely something that you look into. You can wear elbow pads and knee pads if needed, but a helmet is a major thing that needs to be worn,” said Surniak.

Surniak advised riders to be cautious of their surroundings, including potholes and uneven sidewalks. She also says you should avoid slamming on the brakes to prevent falls.

“The injuries that they entail can be fractures, traumatic head injuries, and head bleeds. Head bleeds are significant injuries to your brain that can cause swelling, and from that you can have issues later in life with memory, everyday life tasks,” said Surniak.

A study from the National Institutes of Health indicated a six-fold increase in e-scooter-related injuries in emergency rooms since the introduction of shared scooter services.

“When I have seen them, they’re pretty bad… follow traffic laws, and make sure that if, especially if you’re riding at night, that you’re wearing reflective gear just like you would be a bike so that people can see you,” said Surniak.

Surniak also recommends closed-toed shoes to help with your grip and prevent foot & ankle injuries.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by FOX21. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by FOX21 staff before being published.