‘Use your head’: Angela Poe-Russell urges helmet use as Seattle e-scooter injuries spike
Mar 4, 2026, 4:33 PM | Updated: 4:35 pm
A Harborview Medical Center doctor raised concerns about the number of e-scooter injuries as of late, noting that in 2024 alone, the hospital treated 163 patients with serious e-scooter injuries.
Gee Scott, co-host of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio, voiced his own concerns about the irresponsible use of e-scooters in Seattle, blaming the riders’ “carelessness” rather than putting the scooter at fault.
“When it comes to these e-scooters, I’m sorry, I don’t think it’s the scooter. I think it’s us,” Gee said. “I think it’s the carelessness that people have, like some people going to bars to drink and then getting on [an e-scooter]. Even if you aren’t careless, even if you are the safest person in the world, those kinds of accidents happen. I’m not a fan of the scooter, but if you choose to ride it, be smart about it.”
On top of the stark number of e-scooter injuries in 2024, 13% of those patients were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries, and the average treatment cost was roughly $92,000.
KIRO fill-in host Angela Poe-Russell noted she supports alternative modes of transportation, but questioned why riders would travel up to 30 miles per hour without a helmet on Seattle’s rough streets.
“It’s a great mode of transportation, I think it’s a good thing. The problem is many people are using them irresponsibly,” Angela said. “If you know you’re going to use an e-scooter every day, or an e-bike, can we just take along a helmet? You do not realize how bad our streets are. You feel every crack, every bump in the road; the streets are awful. So you’re on an e-scooter going up to 30 miles per hour with no helmet? Use your head.”
Watch the full discussion in the video above.
Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.
