Roller 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 3216
Down 20% over 5 years
The verdict
Roller Skating (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) carry a danger score of 39/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 41,390 ER-treated injuries a year that are declining by about 20% over the last five years.
- 39/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 41,390
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 3.4%
- end in hospital admission
- 5-14
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 3216 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 39/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for roller skating (activity, apparel or equipment) - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume41,390 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)3.4%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend-20%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Roller Skating (activity, Apparel Or Equipment) (CPSC product code 3216, in the Sports Protective Equipment & Gear category) generate an estimated 41,390 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 827,800 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 39/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are declining by about 20% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2014 (54,796 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2020 (23,517 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for roller skating (activity, apparel or equipment) is fracture to the wrist, accounting for approximately 109,662 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by fracture to the lower arm (82,710 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 438,036 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 3.4% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 11 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how roller 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 | 3,069 | 4,737 | |
| 5-14 | 152,810 | 285,158 | |
| 15-24 | 35,611 | 69,876 | |
| 25-34 | 19,109 | 73,579 | |
| 35-44 | 19,680 | 68,893 | |
| 45-54 | 12,920 | 45,402 | |
| 55-64 | 7,217 | 20,224 | |
| 65-74 | 2,937 | 4,680 | |
| 75+ | 748 | 977 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Wrist | Fracture | |
| Lower Arm | Fracture | |
| Wrist | Strain, Sprain | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Ankle | Fracture | |
| Lower Leg | Fracture | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Elbow | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Elbow | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Knee | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Knee | Strain, Sprain | |
| Wrist | Other | |
| Head | Concussion | |
| Face | Laceration |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
13YOF PRESENTS AFTER ROLLER SKATING DOWNHILL WITH NO PROTECTIVE GEAR WHEN SHE FELL AND LANDED ON HER LEFT WRIST WITH ASSOCIATED PAIN AND SWELLING, DX: SPRAIN AND STRAIN OF WRIST
6 YOF C/O RIB PAIN AFTER FALL ROLLERSKATING DX INTERCOSTAL MUSCLE STRAIN
12YOF, FELL ON ARM AT SKATING RINK, C/O PAIN LEFT ARM DX: LEFT RADIAL FRACTURE
22 YOF ROLLER SKATING AND TWISTED KNEE. DX SPRAIN
7YOM CHILD WAS AT THE ROLLER RINK WHEN HE FELL AND HITTING HIS HEAD DX: INJURY OF HEAD, TRAUMATIC HEMATOMA OF FOREHEAD
14 YOF WAS ROLLER SKATING AND FELL, GRABBED ON TO A TABLE AND HURT HAND. DX SPRAIN
10 YOF FELL WHILE ROLLERSKATING HURT WRIST DX WRIST FX CLOSED
33YOF WAS AT ROLLER DERBY PRACTICE WHEN SHE PIVOTED AND FELT SUDDEN ONSET OF PAIN IN HER LEFT LEG AND FELL TO THE GROUND. DX: ANKLE SPRAIN, TIBIA FRACTURE
15YOF WAS ROLLER SKATING AND FELL DX: FRACTURED LEFT ANKLE
24YOF INJURED ANKLE WHEN SHE FELL ROLLER SKATING. DX: LT ANKLE FX
16YOF, 4 DAYS AGO FELL WHILE ROLLERSKATING AND SINCE WITH ARM AND WRIST PAIN, DX: SPRAIN OF RIGHT UPPER ARM; SPRAIN OF RIGHT WRIST
15YOF, ROLLER SKATING FOR FIRST TIME AND FELL TWISTING ANKLE DX: CLOSED TRIMALLEOLAR FRACTURE OF LEFT ANKLE
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
Bont rollerskates using the prodigy plate have been well known and documented for trucks popping in and out during skating. The black tracer plates are documented for trucks snapping clean off. If you contact bont, they will send you replacement parts, but many people do not know the risk of these products failing. Bont does know but has not issued a recall.
Child was wearing roller skates, quad wheel style, and the clasps / fasteners on each skate became unfastened causing the skate to loosen while on the child's foot. The child has fallen while skating and her foot has come out of the skate due to the fasteners coming undone. The fasteners no longer remain fastened despite snapping them in place and hearing the "click" sound to indicate that they are locked. The skates manufacturer's date code was 3/25/11 and they were purchased in December 2011. The skates were worn for approximately 4 months beginning in March 2012. The skates were bought at Toy R Us and are manufactured / distributed by Bravo Sports. They are the Disney Princess Adjustable Quad Skates.
My daughter used roller skate for 10 minutes. and plastic part near ankle, cut both side of the ankle skin (1.5 inches each ) and made them bleeding. I found out boots inside the plastic parts are smaller than outside supporting plastic parts. Also the plastic parts are sharp and rough which easily cut skin.
Jakks Paw Patrol Roller Skates, the strap comes undone while wearing skates possing fall hazard to toddlers. It doesn't stay on. The clip falls or loosen
I purchased the incline skates, Rollerblade Tempest. I wore them approximately 4 times and had 2 accidents (one involving an ambulance ride to the ER). The first time, the skates felt like the wheels were caught or something and I ran into a parked car, bruising my chin and arm with swelling). The second time was more serious. I was unable to gin control of the skates and fell resulting in a head and shoulder injury. I was taken to the Emergency Room where I received staples in my head to close the gash from my fall. I have owned roller blades since I was about 12. I NEVER had any incidents where I was injured, even minor incidents.
My 10 yr old son was [skating] with his [inline skates] that are less than a year old only worn about 10 times. .. and the whole front wheel snapped off. The plastic holding the wheel actually snapped.
Was skating on a paved path in a public park. After about 4 miles of skating the left skate fell apart. The group of 4 wheels separated from the boot causing me to fall. Link to picture of skate: [REDACTED]
I bought a pair of new roller skates on 11/25/2016. I used it 4 times, always in parks and streets along those parks, never went offroad or rough areas. The fourth use was on the tenth day after purchase. I was skating in [REDACTED] park area. The front wheel of the right skate fell off spontaneously and I fell on the ground. I got bruises on my right palm and left knee. Left knee cap area of my pants were ripped apart. Fortunately, there was no body and no car around. Serious injury might happen if a kid/teen fell out of the blue off a street and got hit by a car. The skate was brand new and unmodified by me. I weight 140 lb, well below the recommended max of 190 lb in their reference guide. I would like to report this so that we can figure out if this is a single defective product or there is systematic manufacturing problem or design flaw. Even if this is a single defect, failing on the 4th use on the 10th day is very unsatisfactory.
Showing 8 of 11 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to roller skating (activity, apparel or equipment) on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are roller skating (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, roller skating (activity, apparel or equipment) have a danger score of 39/100 (low risk). An estimated 41,390 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from roller skating (activity, apparel or equipment)?
The most common injury is fracture to the wrist, accounting for approximately 109,662 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from roller skating (activity, apparel or equipment) increasing or decreasing?
Down 20% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for roller skating (activity, apparel or equipment) injuries?
The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 438,036 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by roller skating (activity, apparel or equipment)?
Of all ER visits involving roller skating (activity, apparel or equipment), approximately 3.4% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (96.6%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with roller 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 39/100 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.
