38
CPSC NEISS Data 2005–2024

Unicycles, Unpowered Or Unspecified

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 & Recreation Equipment · CPSC Code 1283

Up 91% over 5 years

The verdict

Unicycles, Unpowered Or Unspecified carry a danger score of 38/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 361 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 91% over the last five years.

38/100
danger score (low risk)
361
ER visits per year (avg)
5.8%
end in hospital admission
5-14
most-injured age group

Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1283 - last data year 2024.

PlainSafety danger score

0/100100/10038/100
PlainSafety danger score

Source: CPSC NEISS danger-score model As of 2024

How this 38/100 score is built

The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for unicycles, unpowered or unspecified - no opinion, no editorializing:

  • Injury volume361 ER visits/yr
  • Severity (hospitalization rate)5.8%
  • Fatality rate0.00%
  • 5-year trend+91%

See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.

What the CPSC Data Shows

Unicycles, Unpowered Or Unspecified (CPSC product code 1283, in the Sports & Recreation Equipment category) generate an estimated 361 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 7,214 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 38/100 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 rising by about 91% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2021 (730 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2010 (101 estimated visits).

The single most common ER diagnosis for unicycles, unpowered or unspecified is fracture to the lower leg, accounting for approximately 556 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by fracture to the wrist (483 cases). The 5-14 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 1,653 cases over the NEISS window, and males appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 5.8% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.

Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 4 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how unicycles, unpowered or unspecified 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.

361
Injuries / Year
5.8%
Hospitalization Rate
0.00%
Fatality Rate

Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)

0200400600800 20052008201120142017202020232024 659
Estimated annual emergency-room visits for Unicycles, Unpowered Or Unspecified, CPSC NEISS

Source: CPSC NEISS national injury estimates As of 2024

Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only

Who Gets Injured?

Age Group Male Female Total
0-4 117 6 123
5-14 1,414 239 1,653
15-24 1,097 547 1,644
25-34 854 170 1,024
35-44 836 228 1,064
45-54 720 20 740
55-64 774 100 874
65-74 94 0 94

Most Common Injuries

Body Part Diagnosis Est. Injuries
Lower Leg Fracture 556
Wrist Fracture 483
Head Internal Injury 449
Face Laceration 393
Wrist Strain, Sprain 355
Lower Arm Fracture 346
Knee Other 249
Shoulder Fracture 197
Knee Strain, Sprain 196
Finger Laceration 194
Lower Leg Laceration 178
Upper Trunk Other 163
Hand Fracture 162
Wrist Contusions, Abr. 161
Lower Trunk Other 152

Severity Breakdown

Treated/examined And Released 88.3% (6,371)
Treated And Admitted/hospitalized 5.6% (407)
Left Without Being Seen 4.8% (349)
Treated And Transferred 1.0% (74)
Held For Observation 0.2% (16)

ER Visit Narratives

Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.

Age 34 · Male · Foot · Laceration · 2024

34 YOM INJ RT FOOT ON UNICYCLE HIT A ROCK FELL OFF ON STREET DX LAC RT FOOT

Age 21 · Male · Finger · Laceration · 2024

21YOM WAS RIDING A UNICYCLE AND FELL OFF. DX: FINGER LACERATION.

Age 19 · Male · Wrist · Fracture · 2024

19YOM PATIENT WAS RIDING A 1 WHEEL BIKE YESTERDAY WHEN HE FELL FROM THE BIKE, LANDING ONTO HIS LEFT WRIST. DX: DISTAL RADIUS FRACTURE

Age 47 · Male · Upper Trunk · Internal Injury · 2024

47 YOM WHO WAS HELMETED AND WAS WEARING EXTREMITY PROTECTION PRESENTS TO THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT AS A LEVEL 2 TRAUMA AFTER BEING STRUCK BY VEHICLE WHILE RIDING A UNICYCLE. HE IS COMPLAINING OF BILATERAL SHOULDER PAIN, ANTERIOR RIB PAIN. SCATTERED ABRASIONS MOST NOTABLY ON THE RIGHT ABDOMINAL WALL HORIZONTALLY OVER THE RIGHT UPPER QUADRANT. DX RIB FRACTURES, LIVER CONTUSION

Age 15 · Male · Knee · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

15YOM TO ER AFTER FALLING OFF A UNICYCLE WHILE GOING 14 MPH 1 HR AGO, PT FELL ON LEFT KNEE, PT HAS CONTUSION OF LEFT KNEE DX PAIN LEFT KNEE, CONTUSION LEFT KNEE

Age 32 · Female · Shoulder · Fracture · 2024

32 YOF HAD BEEN DRINKING AND WAS RIDING HER UNICYCLE WITHOUT A HELMET WHEN SHE FELL. BAL 296. DX: DISPLACED FRACTURE LEFT CLAVICLE, ALCOHOLIC INTOXICATION

Age 59 · Male · Upper Trunk · Internal Injury · 2024

59YOM PRESENTING S/P UNICYCLE SCOOTER COLLISION WITH ABDOMINAL PAIN. PER PT, HE COLLIDED WITH A CAR GOING ABOUT 25 MILES PER HOUR DX: PNEUMOTHORAX , CONTUSION OF HEART

Age 56 · Male · Lower Leg · Contusions, Abr. · 2024

56YOM FELL OFF OF A UNICYCLE STRIKING RIGHT LOWER LEG DX: ABRASION LOWER LEG

Age 36 · Male · Elbow · Fracture · 2024

36YOM PRESENTS AFTER HE WAS RIDING HIS UNICYCLE WHEN HE FELL ONTO HIS LEFT ELBOW. DX: ELBOW PAIN, ELBOW FRACTURE LEFT, DISLOCATION OF LEFT ELBOW

Age 61 · Male · Wrist · Fracture · 2024

61YOM PRESENTED TO ED C/O PAINFUL WRIST, PT STATED HE WAS RIDING UNICYCLE ON ROAD AND FELL ONTO R WRIST. DX; FRACTURE OF ULNAR STYLOID, RADIAL SHAFT FRACTURE

Age 11 · Male · Upper Trunk · Other · 2024

11YOM WITH MID BACK PAIN. SYMPTOMS STARTED 2 WEEKS AGO AFTER HE FELL FROM A UNICYCLE, PATIENT STATES HE FELL ON HIS FACE INITIALLY THEN HE LANDED ON HIS TWISTED UPPER BACK.

Age 60 · Male · Knee · Strain, Sprain · 2023

60 YOM. RT KNEE INJURY AFTER PT WAS ON A ***, PT HYPEREXTENDED HIS KNEE ON A ***. DX: SPRAIN OF MEDIAL COLLATERAL LIGAMENT OF KNEE

Consumer Incident Reports

Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.

9/14/2015 · Injury, Seen by Medical Professional · Inventist Inc · China

I have brought a Solowheel S300 from Solowheel China official online store. On 2015.08.18 almost 7:15pm ~ 8:00pm, when I using the solowheel, the machine stop working just like lost the power immediately, I have been fall to the ground. As the result of this incident, my left clavicle fracture, right radius fracture, right knee scratch. I have use my iphone take a video after incident, the Solowheel showing red light, and the red light is flashing, it can not turn into green(the light will be turn into green, when it works fine). This is the second time Solowheel lost the power when it running. The first time is on Jul 2015, Solowheel is working on the morning, and after running almost 2 ~ 3KM, the machine lost the power, and can not turn on again, fortunately when the machine fault, the speed is very slow, so I have not been injured at that incident. After sending back the machine to the manufacture, they told me it is one of the wire broken. Solowheel send me back the machine, after fixed it. I have used it almost 2 weeks, on 2015.08.18 another incident has happen, unfortunately, this time it broken 2 of my bones. My [REDACTED] video showing Solowheel is not work, and I believe the product fault cause the incident, so I contact the manufacture next day, they ask me send the machine back, because they need download the data from the machine, but when they receive the machine, they refuse to confirm the product fault.

6/3/2016 · Incident, No Injury · Segway, LLC · California

Product is a Ninebot Model P purchased from Ninebot US. The Ninebot P electric unicycle was released in November of last year. Only one shimpment was released in the US as it was immediately pulled from further delivery and US pre-orders were canceled. This was a national, as well as international product "pull" from the mfg, Ninebot Inc. All US distributors were notified that no further shipments would be received. NO reason was provided but is was so sudden and without warning. To cancel a product with significant demand and pre-orders and at Christmas time was a red flag to us owners. Immediately, upon receipt of the first shipment deliveries, customers begin complaining that the Ninebot Model P was halting unexpectedly and without warning and the motor would lock up or free spin. This is easily searchable online in electric unicycle forums. I received my Ninebot P in November 2015. After hearing about the issues other owners were experiencing, I rode with caution and sure enough, experienced a motor/mother board failure while riding in a busy city street. The Ninebot Model P began to stall and I was able to jump off and stumble a bit with no injury. The Model P was dead in the water. This is an incredibly dangerous scenario as the Ninebot P travels at nearly 20 MPH , and in a street scenario, could cause serious injury, including death should the rider be thrown into moving traffic or pedestrian due to a product failure. I believe Ninebot Inc is avoiding a recall and any liability due to consumer safety. I did send in my Ninebot P and requested a refund within the warranty period but it was rejected due to "no mfg recall exit". It has been repaired with existing model parts so I am certain it will fail again as most owners have experienced.

3/1/2019 · Incident, No Injury · Ninebot US Inc · California

I have been riding Ninebot One E+ to work everyday on it, also as a main mode of transportation, for the past 3.5 years in the San Francisco Bay Area, and even take it to nearby beaches such as Half Moon Bay, Monterey or Big Sur when it's sunny here in Northern California. Within a few minutes after the device started making a few popping noise when the power was off, it suddenly exploded and burnt in a vicious fire. I was extremely lucky and no one was hurt. This could have been much, much worse. I could have lost my right leg, I could have died or the entire apartment could have burnt down causing even more casualties. .This is when I realized the sound--and potentially the smell too--was coming from my beloved 3 year long friend. My instinct now as sharp as blade, I knew I needed to do so something. ~11:45AM - I started hearing popping noise. Initially believed to be coming from outside, only to discover nothing outside the front door. ~11:50AM - Noticed repetitiveness in the noise, occurring every 30 seconds to a minute. ~11:55AM - Started smelling something acrid. Starting to be concerned. ~12:00PM - Found the source of the sound (and potentially the smell) 12:01PM - (film shot, of the device making noise) ~12:02PM - Being super safe, I went to the power strip and turned it off ~12:02PM - Then unplugged the cord from the power strip, ~12:03PM - Then unplugged the cord from the unit. ~12:03PM - I raised the handle bar and tried to grab it from the end of the handle bar as usual, but I didn't. Instead, I grabbed the center of the handle and supported with my left hand under the foot pedal so I don't accidentally agitate the unit too much and trigger it to explode. (VERY RISKY) ~12:03PM - I took it outside and leaned it against the immediate exterior wall I was able to get access to. ~12:09PM - I heard a loud explosion with a small fire when I turned. Immediately, one or two more louder and bigger explosions occurred and followed by much bigger fir

3/1/2017 · Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional · Segway, LLC · Tennessee

I ordered a product called a Ninebot One from an ebay seller called myfunwheel. The ninebot is made by segway and myfunwheel is a U.S. seller. Their contact info is Dion@myfunwheel 293 Washington Dr Brentwood CA, 94513 1 925 493 0920 The Ninebot One is a single wheel device similar to a hover board except that it has a single wheel. While my son was riding this device, it stopped suddenly causing him to be thrown from the machine. When I looked at the machine, I found that the battery was incorrectly installed. The battery had quite a bit of double sided tape to hold it securely in the machine, but the backing was not removed from the tape. This left the battery free to move around in the machine. Because the battery was free to move, the power connection was ripped off the battery while he was riding it, causing the sudden stop and injury. This was directly the result of improper battery instillation by the supplier. Even though the machine was new, the battery also appeared to be an aftermarket battery. My concern is that this company sells hundreds of these machines on ebay, and I am certain that it is common for the batteries to be incorrectly installed. I feel that there is great risk to other riders. There is risk of injury or death as a result if this shortcut taken by the seller.

Product Recalls

Search for active and past recalls related to unicycles, unpowered or unspecified on the CPSC website.

Frequently Asked Questions

How dangerous are unicycles, unpowered or unspecified?

Based on 20 years of CPSC data, unicycles, unpowered or unspecified have a danger score of 38/100 (low risk). An estimated 361 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.

What are the most common injuries from unicycles, unpowered or unspecified?

The most common injury is fracture to the lower leg, accounting for approximately 556 injuries over 20 years.

Are injuries from unicycles, unpowered or unspecified increasing or decreasing?

Up 91% over 5 years.

Who is most at risk for unicycles, unpowered or unspecified injuries?

The 5-14 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 1,653 cases recorded over 20 years. Males are more frequently injured in this age group.

What happens when someone is injured by unicycles, unpowered or unspecified?

Of all ER visits involving unicycles, unpowered or unspecified, approximately 5.8% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (94.2%) are treated and released from the emergency department.

How can I report a safety problem with unicycles, unpowered or unspecified?

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.

Safety Guides

What this means for you

Treat the 38/100 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.