Children are injured more than ever by golf carts

In many ways, children in America are safer than ever. But apparently, golf carts did not get the memo. New research from this week reveals that injuries to pediatric golf carts are increasing.

Researchers at the Philadelphia Children’s Hospital conducted the study, which analyzed injuries to golf cars that sent children and young adults to the emergency room. They found that these injuries have increased in recent years, with almost half involving children under the age of 12. You have to do more to repel the threat of golf cart, according to the researchers.

“The growing trend in the use of golf trolleys in residential areas, as well as the increased frequency of children leading and leading these vehicles, are correlated with a worrying increase in the number and variety of injuries of childhood golf carts,” said the author of Theodore Ganley, Director of Sports Medicine Center in Chop, of Pediatrics. The results are presented this weekend at the National Conference of the AAP.

Why and how children are injured by golf carts

Researchers have traveled the National Electronic injury supervision system (NEISS), a database of injuries treated in the hospital emergency services across the country. Data is intended to be representative nationally, so scientists often use them to assess the number of Americans injured by specific products or specific causes of injury.

They examined Neiss’s data between 2010 and 2023, focusing on injuries related to golf cars in children and young adults (22 and under). They counted 1,419 cases during this period, at around 53,855 injuries of this type at the national level during this period. On average, they estimated that around 3,800 golf cart injuries occurred each year, but they also found that these injuries had increased consistent in the past three years.

The average age of a golf trollee victim was 11 years and 90% of these injuries were boys. About half of the injuries were caused by a person falling from the cart, while 36% involved a collision or a trolley reversal. Children were most often injured along the head, face or neck, while half of all injuries were deemed superficial.

In particular, other research has suggested that the trend in increasing injuries to golf cars in general dates back to the early 2000s.

What to do

The authors say that their results highlight “insufficient robust safety characteristics and deficits in standard regulations”. But, leaving aside the possibility of carrying out a massive public campaign to dissuade golf children, which should also mean that there are a lot to do to reduce these injuries.

Golf carts could be better designed to manage sharp corners, for example, or to be less inclined to fall in general. Policy and legislators could also adopt laws and regulations to encourage better security.

Some places have already started to do it. This year, Southern Carolina has implemented a law forcing children under 12 to carry a seat belt inside these vehicles on public roads. In 2023, Florida also began to demand that adolescents have a license or a license to drive a basket (previously, children as young as 14 could drive without license at all).

Researchers also say that people should be more aware of the potential dangers of golf carts.

“Our results highlight the urgent need for increased awareness and attention to these injuries in children and demonstrate the crucial role of education on the safe golf cart operation,” said Ganley.