According to Ustav, most adults involved in such accidents have consumed alcohol.

"I can give examples from the North Estonia Medical Centre (PERH)  and Tallinn Children's Hospital, and lately it seems that at least one child arrives at the children's hospital every day due to an electric scooter accident. At PERH, there were nearly 400 such accidents last year, and that number includes adults," Ustav said.

All serious cases, according to Ustav, are caused by excessive speed and not wearing a helmet. "Statistics show that 80 percent of these accidents do not happen because of a collision with another vehicle or person, but simply by losing balance or falling," Ustav said.

Among adults, there are also too many cases where several people ride on one scooter. "Adults have other substances involved that impair their decision‑making. In the PERH context, most riders involved in accidents have consumed alcohol."

Working in the ER, you see everything. "Elderly people with chronic illnesses, severe traffic accidents, poisonings, everything," Ustav said. "In the ER workflow, the most important role is the triage nurse, who must understand which patient needs the fastest help."

"People should also know more about their own health. Most things people want to come to the ER for can be treated at home. If you have a tick, fever, cough or cold. If nothing helps anymore, only then should you go to the ER. There are some specific things that require immediate attention, such as strong chest pain radiating to the arm, severe trauma, or a deep cut," Ustav noted.

"We at PERH's ER only see very severe accidents involving children; we do not see the smaller accidents involving children," Ustav said.

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