A lack of federal statistics hampers any effort to gather accurate data on scooter accidents and injuries nationwide. The industry is new enough that there has not been sufficient time for the federal government to compile statistical reports, which typically have a lag of two years before full data is available. However, preliminary studies with small samples exist.
One study, by the Centers for Disease Control found that 29 percent of scooter accidents involved first-time riders, while 18 percent involved motor vehicles. This seems to indicate that rider inexperience and inattention to surrounding traffic—either by motor vehicle drivers or by scooter riders—are major causes of scooter accidents. Another study by the CDC—albeit using a very small sample—found that half of the injured scooter riders interviewed cited poor road surface conditions, including potholes and cracks in the asphalt, as the cause of their accident.
