In-line Skating (activity, Apparel Or Equipment)
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Sports Protective Equipment & Gear · CPSC Code 3297
Up 41% over 5 years
The verdict
In-line Skating (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) carry a danger score of 42/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 14,677 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 41% over the last five years.
- 42/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 14,677
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 4.0%
- end in hospital admission
- 5-14
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 3297 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 42/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for in-line skating (activity, apparel or equipment) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume14,677 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)4.0%
- Fatality rate0.04%
- 5-year trend+41%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
In-line Skating (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) (CPSC product code 3297, in the Sports Protective Equipment & Gear category) generate an estimated 14,677 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 293,533 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 42/100 for this category (moderate risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are rising by about 41% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2006 (27,684 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2019 (7,969 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for in-line skating (activity, apparel or equipment) is fracture to the wrist, accounting for approximately 45,041 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by fracture to the lower arm (36,088 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 143,104 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 4.0% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.04%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 5 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how in-line skating (activity, apparel or equipment) fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 958 | 737 | |
| 5-14 | 63,341 | 79,755 | |
| 15-24 | 24,711 | 30,094 | |
| 25-34 | 15,436 | 24,919 | |
| 35-44 | 9,248 | 16,337 | |
| 45-54 | 5,329 | 11,037 | |
| 55-64 | 3,184 | 5,125 | |
| 65-74 | 1,563 | 1,176 | |
| 75+ | 435 | 91 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Lower Arm | Fracture | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Elbow | Fracture | |
| Lower Leg | Fracture | |
| Ankle | Fracture | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Knee | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Elbow | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Wrist | Other | |
| Knee | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
9YOF COMPLAINS OF LEFT WRIST INJURY. SHE WAS *** WHEN SHE FELL AND SUSTAINED THE INJURY. DX: BUCKLE FRACTURE OF DISTAL END OF LEFT RADIUS
6 YOF INJURED UPPER ARM FELL *** DX: FX
24YOF WAS *** AND SLIPPED AND FELL BACK FLAT ON HER BUTTOCKS DX: TAILBONE INJURY
28 YOF FELL BACK WHILE *** AND HIT THE BACK OF HER HEAD ON A WOOD FLOOR. DX: HEAD INJURIES.
35YOM WAS *** TODAY WHEN HE HAD A FALL DX: FRACTURED LEFT LOWER LEG
10 YOF FELL *** DX; L HUMERUS FX
52 YOM USING ***S IN KITCHEN, FELL HURT ANKLE. DX TRIMALLEOLAR FRACTURE
9YOF WAS *** AT THE ROLLER SKATING RINK AND FELL DX: STRAINED RIGHT WRIST
12YOM FELL WHILE ON ***S DX CLOSED HEAD INJURY
40YOM FELL ***. DX: SHOULDER PAIN
52YOF PRESENTS WITH ANKLE PAIN AFTER A FALL WHILE *** SAME DAY. DX: CLOSED RIGHT ANKLE FRACTURE
51YOF, C/O WRIST PAIN AFTER FALLING FORWARD WHILE ***, DX: CLOSED FRACTURE OF DISTAL END OF LEFT RADIUS
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
I was skating when the head of the screw holding on the wheel of my inline skates broke off, allowing the front wheel to come off the skate.
I was skating with my K2 VO2-S 100 Pro Inline Skates on 3/24/20 when the bolt holding the left rear wheel sheared off. I crashed after the wheel fell off and landed on my right shoulder. I have been diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder. I looked up my skates online after the crash and discovered that a recall had been issued last year for exactly what failed with my skates. I was never notified of the recall.
Chicago Girls Training Skate Combo http://smile.amazon.com/Chicago-Girls-Training-Skate-Combo/dp/B002EPBM06?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage The boot straps do not stay shut and will release and open when skating. My daughter has not been harmed by these, but someone will be hurt by these eventually. It took me a few months to notice this because my daughter is scared to learn to skate yet, so we've just been letting her practice inside holding on to us or like the walls. There are several other complaints on Amazon of this problem and I never noticed the complaints before I bought these.
My name is [REDACTED]. Summer 2014 my Roller blade( Activa 90/ Magnesium) first wheel just fall of during my ride. It is a miracle I didn't hurt myself. I called to (800) 232-7655 three times to ask to replace the part from a frame that hold axle bolts do not fall through. First time they sent me an axle bolt, even so I specifically explain it is not an axle bolt I need. After Second call, two month ago, they pro mice to send me a part and never did. Please help. [REDACTED]
My daughter was skating when a bolt which attaches the wheels to the boot of her skate came loose and caused her to fall.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to in-line skating (activity, apparel or equipment) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are in-line skating (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, in-line skating (activity, apparel or equipment) have a danger score of 42/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 14,677 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from in-line skating (activity, apparel or equipment)?
The most common injury is fracture to the wrist, accounting for approximately 45,041 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from in-line skating (activity, apparel or equipment) increasing or decreasing?
Up 41% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for in-line skating (activity, apparel or equipment) injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 143,104 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by in-line skating (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Of all ER visits involving in-line skating (activity, apparel or equipment), approximately 4.0% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (96.0%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with in-line skating (activity, apparel or equipment)?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Sports Protective Equipment & Gear
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 42/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 5-14 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
