66,000 Riding Mower Injuries in 5 Years

Using a ride-on mower to cut the grass might save energy but they land thousands of people in hospital every year, experts have warned.

Over five years some 66,000 Americans ended up in emergency rooms with injuries caused by lawn tractors, reports the Journal of Safety Research.

While many suffered bruises or sprains, some of the injured suffered broken bones and amputations. Six people died.Most cases resulted from moving mowers or machines flipping over. Nearly 100 of the injured were run over by a mower - some were children who had been sitting on the driver's lap and had fallen off. Men made up the bulk of casualties, and most were aged 40 or older. Many were hit by objects or flying debris, or sustained injuries while unloading the mower or servicing it.

Former Norwich City football manager Bryan Hamilton needed surgery to save his foot after it became entangled in the blades of his ride-on mower. His toes were broken and dislocated and tendons and arteries were torn when the blades sliced through the sole of his foot as he tried to jump off the falling mower. John Heyworth, president of the College of Emergency Medicine, said people should be cautious when gardening.

"We all need to be careful. The risk of getting injured is low but we are not completely risk free. We regularly see patients with a number of injuries as a result of gardening activities. Some have run over their feet with the lawnmower and others have badly cut their fingers on the blades."