ids ride them in airports, in grocery store parking lots and in neighborhoods. Lightweight and portable, scooters quickly entered the toy marketplace, nabbing the coveted “must-have” gift during the holidays last year.

But just how safe are your kids when they ride this latest version of the foot-propelled scooters that were first made popular in the 1950s?

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there were more than 37,000 emergency room-treated injuries and two deaths related to scooters between January and November 2000.

“Many parents underestimate the risk of having young children mobile and are surprised to learn how many injuries occur in the neighborhood streets and sidewalks they perceive as safe,” says Patti Rhynders, who manages Children’s Medical Center of Dallas’ injury prevention education and outreach programs. “Most injuries occur when riders fall from the scooter, as opposed to colliding with or being struck by other objects.”

Safety concerns arise because many kids do not ride scooters in the proper place, and do not take proper precautions.

Although the first scooters hit the market without recommendations about rider age, safety gear or safe practices, the CPSC has developed several recommendations for scooter safety:

• Wear safety gear that includes a helmet, and knee and elbow pads.
  
• Ride scooters on smooth, paved surfaces without traffic.
  
• Avoid riding scooters on streets or surfaces with water, sand, gravel or dirt.
  
• Do not ride scooters at night.

“Although scooters are sold as toys, parents should regard them as a vehicle,” Rhynders says. “Parents should consider their child’s abilities to balance, to steer and to operate a moving vehicle. They should spend time teaching the child to practice safe riding skills and observing the child as he or she learns to maneuver the scooter.”