April 18, 2002
Should there be a minimum age requirement to ride skateboards and
scooters? The American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP) thinks so!
In a policy statement released in March 2002, the AAP reported the
following statistics:
In 1996, 5.8 million people under the age
of 18 years rode skateboards; 750,000 of these people rode skateboards
weekly.
In 1999, approximately 51,000 people younger
than 20 years old were injured riding skateboards.
In 1997, 1,500 children were hospitalized for
injuries they received while riding skateboards; most of these injuries
were to the head.
Head and face injuries account for 29% of the
injuries that occur to people who ride scooters.
The AAP has issued the following set of recommendations to help parents
decide who should ride and how skateboards and scooters
should be used:
- Children younger than 5 years should not use
skateboards.
- Children younger than 10 years should not use skateboards without
close supervision by an adult.
- Children younger than 8 years should not use scooters without close
supervision by an adult.
- Skateboards and scooters should not be used in or near traffic.
- When riding a skateboard, don't hold on to the side of a moving
vehicle.
- When riding a skateboard or scooter, wear protective equipment
including a helmet, wrist guards, elbow pads and knee pads.
- Communities should build skateboard parks.
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