Thousands of injuries, many severe, are reported each year
- More than 85,000 lawn mower injuries are reported each year in the U.S.
- Children and bystanders are among the most vulnerable to severe accidents.
- Safety experts urge stricter regulations and increased public awareness.
What's the most dangerous thing in your garage, other than your car? That's right, it's your lawn mower. As lawns across America green up for spring, emergency rooms prepare for an influx of injuries, many of them severe, nearly all preventable.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an estimated 85,000 people are treated in emergency rooms each year due to lawn mower-related injuries. Among those injured, roughly 8,000 are children. Common injuries include deep lacerations, broken bones, burns, and in extreme cases, amputations and death.
Most common hazards
The dangers of lawn mowers stem from multiple sources:
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Blade contact: The most severe injuries often involve direct contact with rotating blades. These injuries can occur during maintenance or if someone often a child gets too close.
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Thrown objects: Rocks, sticks, and debris can become dangerous projectiles when hit by high-speed blades, causing eye injuries and facial trauma.
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Rollovers: Zero-turn and riding mowers, popular for large yards, are prone to tipping on slopes or uneven terrain, potentially trapping the operator beneath.
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Hot surfaces: Engines and exhaust parts can cause burns if touched during or shortly after use.
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Back-over accidents: Tragic cases of children being accidentally reversed over by riding mowers have led to multiple deaths each year.
Children at high risk
Pediatric safety experts emphasize that children should never be passengers on ride-on mowers, nor should they be nearby during mowing. Yet, every year, hundreds of children suffer life-altering injuries when safety guidance is ignored.
Believe it or not lawn mowers are the number one cause of amputation in children under ten years of age across the United States, said Dr. Ken Noonan, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at University of Wisconsin-Health in a News8 report.Car accidents, cancer, other terrible things that can happen to kids, doesnt touch lawnmowers the number one cause of amputation in children.
Regulatory gaps and calls for reform
Despite the dangers, there are no federal laws mandating safety features like automatic blade shut-offs, rearview cameras, or slope-detection technology although some manufacturers have voluntarily adopted such tools.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery are among the organizations calling for updated safety standards, including mandatory safety locks, blade brakes, and better operator training.
An Arkansas company, Blade Solution Corp., has developed a blade replacement product that uses a plastic line assembly to replace the metal blades typically found on lawn mowers.
"Customers can remove their metal blades and self-install our hub and line assembly in minutes. No more amputations and slinging of rocks," said Steve Harari, a board member of the company, in an email to ConsumerAffairs. "Our challenge is the industry inertia not to change."
Harari said his company sold 1,000 units last year and expects to sell 5,000 this year.
What to do
To stay safe while mowing:
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Clear the yard of debris before starting.
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Never allow passengers on riding mowers.
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Use eye and hearing protection.
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Keep children and pets indoors during mowing.
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Turn off the engine before dismounting or unclogging a blade.
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Avoid mowing in reverse unless absolutely necessary.
A sobering reminder
For families whove experienced a lawn mower injury, the consequences are permanent. Its not just the injury, said Elizabeth Martin, whose 5-year-old son lost part of his foot in a mowing accident. Its the surgeries, the therapy, the emotional trauma. I just wish we had taken the warnings more seriously.
With warmer weather on the horizon and lawn care in full swing, safety experts hope that awareness paired with improved safety features and more stringent regulations can help reduce the toll of these all-too-common accidents.
Posted: 2025-05-16 15:19:39
