PHOENIX — Around the Valley, you'll notice most people riding e-scooters are not wearing helmets. Dr. Fredrick Rivara says that is the case nationwide, as studies show most people who ride e-scooters choose not to wear a helmet.
"Head injuries are the most common cause of serious injury or hospitalization from bicycling," Dr. Rivara said. "I think that is going to be true for e-scooters as well."
Just before Christmas, the Phoenix City Council voted to lower the e-scooter riding age from 18 to 16.
Members who voted yes cited the driving age being 16, and kids needing ways to get to school as reasons for their vote.
Still, some brought up their concerns over road safety.
"I am a little hesitant about a 14- or a 16-year-old sharing the road with our motorists," District 6 Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington said.
The Phoenix law changed without a helmet requirement for those under 18. Scottsdale also does not require a helmet.
Dr. Rivara says that's a mistake.
"If you put a 14-year-old on it that weighs 140 pounds, it's [the scooter] going to go a lot faster than if you put a 250-pound adult on it," Dr. Rivara said.
Tempe does require people under 18 to wear a helmet on an e-scooter.
"We have examples of where people who have been wearing helmets in crashes have survived because of that," Shelly Seyler, with Tempe's transportation department, said.
All cities recommend riders wear helmets regardless of age.
You still have to be 18 to rent a scooter through a sharing app like Bird, Lime, or Spin.
Check out the rules for e-scooters for various cities across the Valley below: