YouTube is populated with skateboard bloopers, and with good reason.  According to researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, skateboards put 176 users into emergency rooms in the US every day.

(OK, before we get into the “guns don’t kill people argument,” it’s mishaps, bad luck or bad judgment by users that cause ER visits.  No, skateboards don’t hurt people.  People using skateboards hurt themselves and maybe others as well.  However, even the best riders get hurt, and most users aren’t that good.)

The study was based on analysis of data from 1990 to 2008.  And yes, skateboard users can minimize injuries by wearing helmets and knee and elbow pads to an extent.  However, if you’re trying to jump between the roofs of two three-story buildings, there’s only so much that protection can do.  Most users don’t even wear the minimum.

Source:  Science Daily:  9 April 2016