FOOT-POWERED FUN BEST LEFT TO OLDER KIDS.

Byline: Lisa Mascaro Staff Writer

Skateboarding should be off-limits for kids under 10, and scooter riding forbidden for those under 8, unless adults are closely supervising, the American Academy of Pediatrics says in a report to be released today.

With the number of scooter-related injuries shooting to ``epidemic'' levels, the national organization urges new guidelines to prevent what can be irreparable damage caused when kids crash.

``By any definition, scooter injuries represent a new epidemic in our country,'' said Dr. Gary Smith, director of the center for injury research and policy at Columbus Children's Hospital in Ohio, and member of the APA's committee that drafted the policy.

``It certainly was a remarkably dramatic increase in the number of injuries. ... There was almost like this Himalayan cliff,'' Smith said.

``We really wanted to get the word out to parents. We want parents to be aware there are those kinds of dangers and prevent them from occurring.''

With the wild popularity of the foot-powered rides across the nation's cities and suburbs - industry officials estimate 8 million to 10 million scooters were sold in 2000 - injuries more than doubled from 40,500 that year to 84,000 during the first nine months of 2001, the group said.

It was the kind of onslaught seen when skateboards first cruised onto the scene in the 1970s, leaving a peak of 150,000 injuries in 1977, Smith said.

Skateboard injuries are also back on the rise nationwide, accounting for 50,000 emergency room visits each year, while scooters sent 9,400 people to emergency rooms in the first seven months of 2000.

Last summer, a 20-year-old Glendale student died after spending a week in the hospital after suffering a head injury from a skateboard fall near his home.

Across the San Fernando Valley, parents have given countless accounts of scooter riding mishaps.

In Simi Valley, the city last year approved a new ordinance requiring helmets for kids under 18 on skateboards, scooters or skates - with police poised to cite repeat offenders.

Along with age limits - the doctors' group says children under 5 shouldn't ride skateboards at all - it also recommends helmets and other protective gear for scooter and skateboard riders, and encourages communities to consider more skate parks where kids can play away from city streets.

``Where we see the deaths occurring is where a child encounters an automobile,'' Smith said.

``Wearing a helmet can be lifesaving,'' he said. ``Even just running into a solid object like a telephone pole or solid concrete, wearing a helmet will make the difference between a light bump and something more serious.''

But parents and kids balk at putting an age limit on when kids should be allowed to go for a ride, saying youngsters have different abilities, and neighborhoods offer a range of environments where they play.

Lori Schwartz, a mother of two from old Agoura, said she's not so worried about letting her kids go for a spin up and down their semirural neighborhood, where she knows vehicles are few.

``In a more familiar, enclosed area that they're familiar with, that's not high traffic, I'm not adverse to them being on a skateboard or scooter without my supervision,'' Schwartz said. ``For me, it strongly depends on where.''

That brought some relief to 8-year-old Matthew, who wasn't thrilled with the thought of having mom by his side every time he set out for a ride on his board or scooter.

``I feel sometimes no, (I'm) not so comfortable every time having my parents watch me when I'm outside,'' he said.

At the Borchard Skate Park in Thousand Oaks, where dozens of skateboarders come after school, supervisor Dennis Gass said it's hard to imagine putting limits on the little ones.

``I don't think that's fair. You have to deal with more ability rather than age,'' he said. ``You can't take a broad paint brush and go across - under 8 or under 10.''

But parent Julie Nairin from West Hills says there's no way she'd let 4-year-old Adam take a spin on his scooter without her watching.

``I would never let him ride around the street with his 10-year-old cousins,'' she said.

``We go in the driveway, our back yard, in the living room - when no one's looking,'' she said. ``I would never let him go out by himself. I worry too much.''

A spokeswoman for popular scooter manufacturer Razor USA said the company has no problem with the group's recommendations, noting the guidelines are similar to those it posts on its product.

``They very closely mirror the guidelines that we've been promoting all along,'' said spokeswoman Katherine Mahoney.

She added other activities cause far more injuries than scootering - pointing to the Consumer Product Safety Commission which says a half-million injuries nationwide occur each year from bike riding.

Smith, the pediatrician, knows that age limits sound a little hard core for some youngsters who just want to let it rip, but said it's a guideline to use in making choices.

``Admittedly it's very difficult to come up with an age recommendation for any kind of activity - kids develop very differently at different ages,'' he said.

Still, the doctors pointed to various characteristics to make their case.

They said young children may be at high risk for injury on skateboards and scooters because their center of gravity is higher than that of older children and adults, and their neuromuscular system is not well-developed.

They further said youngsters' judgment of their own skills and strength is often poor, as is their ability to judge foot or vehicular traffic.

From his time in emergency rooms, Smith - who did his residency at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles - said he's seen head injuries from falling and arm injuries from trying to block the crash.

The top three safety tips for parents: ``a helmet, a helmet and a helmet,'' he said.

The doctors also said children should never ride skateboards or scooters in or near traffic, and never hold on to the side of a moving vehicle.

``These are good kids; these are good parents. These are people who understand what it means to supervise kids,'' Smith said.

``Kids, especially younger kids, may not be developmentally able to handle these activities without exposure to danger.''

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Photo:

(color) Curtis Dalton, 14, of Sunland works on his moves at a skate park in Van Nuys. A new report says skateboarding should be off-limits for children under 10.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer