Home
>
Parenting
>
Anti Scooter Media Frenzy

Anti Scooter Media Frenzy

An estimated five million scooters will be sold this year and according to the U.S. Product Safety Commission 26,000 scooter-related injuries were reported before the end of December 2000! 90 percent of those injuries were to children 14 and under. The Consumer Product Safety Counsel also received reports of two deaths tied to scooter injuries. Several elementary schools are discussing ways to ban kids from riding scooters to school. Newspapers across the country headline that "Scooters Lead to ER Visits"!

Before you buy into the media hype about the dangers of the most popular Christmas gift last year, you should educate yourself by considering the statistics of other play equipment commonly used by these same kids.

In 1999 U.S. Statistical Abstract reported 566,085 bike related injuries. Skate board related injuries from that same year were numbered at 35,751. Doubling those statistics were playground equipment injuries at 73,933 accidents. If you are not sick of statistics yet, consider that there were 63,600 injuries on all-terrain vehicles.

What does this tell us? To wear a helmet! Wearing a safety helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent! These statistics can help educated parents (a.k.a. Consumers) realize that scooters are no more dangerous than other play equipment if you follow basic safety guidelines.

Snug fitting helmets and protective gear should be worn at all times.
As with any equipment, children should not ride in the street.
Scooter should only be used during daylight hours.
Children ages 5 - 8 should have adult supervision when operating a scooter.
Scooters are not recommended for children under 4 years of age.
Ride scooters on smooth, hard surfaces clear of rock and debris.

Instead of trying to ban "potential" hazards I suggest we educate ourselves as parents and our children. Use wisdom and remember safety equipment without buying into media hype.

About The Author

Author Rachel Webb is a happy consumer of 3 mini-scooters! Her 4 children help her design 100% Magnetic Fridge Calendars, guaranteed not to slide off when the kids slam the fridge door! Visit: www.note-ables.com or e-mail www.note-ables.com for a $2 off coupon!

recurring housekeeping Glenview ...

In The News:

Facebook crypto scams trick users with fake celebrity endorsements and legitimate-looking cryptocurrency exchange ads that install malware on victims' devices.

Create private chat rooms using the iPhone Notes app collaboration feature with instant messaging capabilities and full control over conversation privacy.

Lyft rolled out safety upgrades with a new Safety Hub, driver blocking capability and a favorite driver option to give riders more control over their experience.

New research shows Americans increasingly trust AI for wellness guidance over social media, with 63% finding artificial intelligence reliable for health.

Luxury fashion brand Dior experienced a January 2025 data breach affecting customer personal information, and notifications were sent months after the discovery.

The commercial Unitree H1 humanoid robot weighs 104 pounds with 365 pound-feet torque per joint and demonstrates dangerous potential when software glitches occur.

Americans average 10-plus hours online daily, according to recent survey, splitting time between streaming shows on TV and browsing websites on multiple devices.

Boost your smartphone privacy instantly with these security tweaks for iPhone and Android that limit ad tracking, hide notifications and prevent unauthorized access.

Platforms like Hoax Tech and JS Click Cloaker help cybercriminals bypass detection systems using machine learning to selectively display scam content to victims.

A new battery recycling technique transforms old lithium-ion batteries into high-performance components that retain 88% capacity after 500 cycles with minimal waste.

Google's Android operating system can warn users about earthquakes before the shaking even begins – and there are ways to do it on your iPhone, too.

Meta's new gesture control wristband might just be the most seamless way to control a computer yet. And no, it doesn't require surgery, a camera, or even a touchscreen. All it needs is your wrist.

Long-haul trucks are now being upgraded with a surprising twist, thanks to California-based startup Revoy. Their electric boost doesn't replace diesel but works alongside it to cut emissions and fuel costs without major disruption.

PayPal and Venmo just rolled out something big: AI-powered scam alerts for Friends and Family payments.

As data centers multiply across the United States, energy demand is increasing at a rapid pace. This has not escaped the notice of large investment firms from Wall Street.

The Unicode Consortium, the nonprofit organization that maintains the Unicode Standard to ensure emojis work across devices, has announced Unicode 17.0, which includes nine new emojis slated for release this fall, in September 2025.

OpenAI is one of the world's leading AI research labs. Founded in 2015, it's behind some of today's most talked-about tools, including GPT, DALL·E, and ChatGPT.

Ever catch your dog staring at the screen during movie night and wonder if they're actually watching? Turns out, they might be. A new scientific study from Auburn University found that many dogs really do engage with television, and not all pups react the same way.

Stop the scammers from making contact in the first place. They're getting your parents' contact information and much more personal data besides, from somewhere.

The Walker S2 robot from UBTech autonomously exchanges its batteries in just three minutes, allowing continuous operation in car factories operated by BYD, Nio and Zeekr.

The FX Super One electric MPV from Faraday Future offers flexible seating, zero-gravity recliners and an AI system that creates a personal connection between driver and vehicle.

Practical solutions for reducing unwanted charity mail, political texts and email spam by opting out of shared lists, replying "STOP" and using data removal services.

Delta's new AI pricing system eliminates static airfares for personalized rates based on individual data, raising questions about fairness while promising optimized revenue.

AI data centers are straining the power grid across 13 states, contributing to a $9 billion increase in electricity costs, and PJM customers face monthly bill increases of $25 or more.

Artificial intelligence is transforming the music industry as AI-generated bands like The Velvet Sundown earn substantial streaming revenue, prompting lawsuits from major record labels.

Anti Scooter Media Frenzy

Parenting