Posts Tagged ‘defective child scooters’

Safety tips for children’s scooters.

Children are eager to find fun activities this summer. In response, many parents have purchased new scooters online. As you open the box, remember to approach your child’s scooter as you would a bicycle. Make sure you have an age-appropriate and safe scooter model, along with a safety helmet.

Pre-Purchase: Read Product Materials

Before you buy, carefully read the product description. For children, plan to buy an age-appropriate non-motorized scooter. Check out online reviews and ask friends about their experiences purchasing scooters. Then, search for product recalls on the Consumer Product Safety Commission website. This is essential because at times, online vendors have been caught selling recalled products. Your child could be seriously injured on a recalled scooter.

Try to purchase a new scooter for your child. While bicycles can be passed down and refurbished, children usually wear their scooters out fairly well, especially the thin, fold-up models. If you do find a hand-me-down scooter, do a thorough inspection before giving it to your child. Locate the model number and check the recall database.

Post-Purchase: Inspect Your Delivery

When the scooter arrives, check that you have received the right model number and all the parts. Nothing should be broken or cracked. Register the scooter with the manufacturer to receive product recalls and other updates. Bicycles, skateboards and scooters all contain small parts and screws. Because your child probably rides daily, we suggest keeping the box. Scan the instructions and product support number so they are easily accessible.

Purchase a Helmet

As part of our Project KidSafe campaign, Breakstone, White & Gluck encourages children to wear bicycle helmets to protect against head injuries. Your child should also wear a helmet every time they ride a scooter. Take time to make sure the helmet is properly-fitted so your child is comfortable wearing it.

This is a suggestion and a requirement. A little background: Under Massachusetts law, children 16 and younger must wear helmets on bikes and scooters, as well as other riding toys.

The bicycle helmet law has been in place longer. In 1994, the state of Massachusetts approved a bicycle helmet law for children age 12 and younger. Then, in 2004, Massachusetts expanded the helmet law to children age 16 and younger on bikes, as well as scooters, skateboard, inline skates and manually-propelled wheeled vehicles. These laws are M.G.L. c. 85, § 11B and M.G.L. c. 85, § 11B1/2.

Some parents keep separate helmets for scooters and bikes. It is also acceptable for children to use one helmet, so long as it meets the federal safety standard for bicycles, properly fits and is in good condition. One reminder though: if your child wears one helmet, expect it to wear faster. Be prepared. Stowaway an extra helmet in your garage.

Look for helmets to meet this safety standard, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (16 C.F.R. part 1203). These helmets are designed to protect against skull fractures and severe brain injuries sustained in bicycle accidents and falls. For more information, read the CPSC’s article, “Which Helmet for Which Activity?”

Driveway Safety

Many scooter accidents happen in or near driveways. Think about how you can protect your children while they ride. One idea is you can purchase driveway fencing. You can buy light-weight brightly colored fencing which retracts when you are done playing. Another strategy is you can park your cars between the children’s play area and the road.

Steer Clear of Large Vehicles

Even quiet streets see large vehicles, including SUVs, delivery trucks and trash vehicles. These vehicles can be deadly near young children on scooters. When a large vehicle appears, teach your child to move to a safe location (this may be your front lawn, your driveway, the sidewalk or the side of the road). Children are safest stepping off the scooter until the vehicle turns off the engine and parks or departs. Drivers backing up can be the most dangerous for children on scooters. Have your children wait inside while you back in or out of your driveway.

Bright Colored Clothing

Buy your child a brightly colored vest, shirt or jacket to wear when they ride near your home or around the neighborhood. Drivers don’t expect scooters – they move differently than bicycles or pedestrians – and you want them to really see your child. To reinforce the message,  you can also wear brightly colored clothes as you walk along your child. Everyone is safer when they are more visible to traffic.

Park Scooters at Night

For safety, children should park their scooters at night. Drivers have a responsibility to look and operate with reasonable care. But the truth is more accidents occur at night and drivers are less likely to see bikes and scooters. Children’s scooters may have neon stickers, but these are hardly visible in night traffic.

Non-Motorized Scooters for Children

Say no to motorized scooters. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has advised against motorized scooters for children under 16. Powered scooters are associated with three times as many severe injuries to children in the U.S., according to a New York Times article on the study.

Scooter Injuries. In the 2008 study, children were more likely to suffer concussions and severe head injuries on motorized scooters. Leg injuries also increased.

More recently, in 2017, the CPSC reported non-motorized scooters were associated with the most injuries among two age groups, children 12 and younger and children under 15. That year, non-motorized scooters caused roughly 20 percent of injuries in both age groups and four deaths of children between 4 and 8 years old. All four children were riding scooters near their family’s home or driveway.

Defective Scooters. Do not assume your child was doing something wrong if the scooter starts to break or a piece falls loose. Manufacturers have had to recall defective scooters on many occasions. Report the incident to the manufacturer. Your report may confirm other reports and prompt them to issue a recall to prevent other scooter accidents and injuries. This is how the process works and it only works if consumers come forward with safety complaints.

Discard Scooters Carefully. If your child wore out their scooter, it’s not safe for use and you should disassemble it. This way, it will not injure another child.

About Breakstone, White & Gluck – Boston Personal Injury Lawyers

At Breakstone, White & Gluck, our Boston personal injury lawyers represent those who have been injured by negligence and recklessness. We are also committed to protecting against head injuries through our Project KidSafe campaign, donating 30,000 bicycle helmets to Massachusetts children since 2013.

We urge families to buy scooters carefully. Always buy a helmet. Always check for product recalls before you buy. Always carefully inspect the scooter when it arrives. Then, after you have taken these steps, you’re ready to enjoy the last few weeks of summer, watching your child ride their new scooter safely.

If you or your child are injured by negligence, please take time to learn your legal rights. For a free legal consultation, contact Breakstone, White & Gluck at 800-379-1244 or 617-723-7676 or use our contact form.