{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,4]],"date-time":"2026-09-04T03:30:48Z","timestamp":1788492648747,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]],"date-time":"2025-11-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1762214400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Children"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Go-karting has become an increasingly popular motorsport and leisure activity among children of all ages. However, go-karting is not without risks. The main purpose of this study was to assess the number of pediatric patients presenting at the emergency department of a level-I trauma center following a go-kart-related injury event over a nine-year period. Additionally, this study aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of patient characteristics, trauma mechanisms, injury types and use of safety devices. Methods: A retrospective single-center cohort study identified all patients that presented at the emergency department from January 2015 to December 2023. Data from the Dutch Nationwide Trauma Registry and medical files were assessed, descriptive statistics were conducted, and cohorts\u2014defined by date\u2014were compared: the first cohort from January 2015 to December 2021, and the second from January 2022 to December 2023, with December 2021 marking the moment when Max Verstappen became the first dutchman to win the Formula One World Driver\u2019s Championship. Results: A total of 14 patients were identified, with an incidence rate of respectively 0.86 and 4.0 per year for the cohorts. In the total study population, 86% were male and the mean age was 12 years (range 4\u201317). Collision was the most common trauma mechanism with velocities even exceeding 70 km\/h. Reported use of a helmet and seatbelt were respectively 64% and 29%. The mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 8.6 (\u00b18.6). 57% of the patients encountered minor injuries (ISS \u2264 8), encompassing mostly soft tissue injuries, whereas truncal injuries occurred most frequently in moderately (ISS 9\u201315) and severely (ISS \u2265 16) injured children. Conclusions: This study has found that although the number of cases was relatively low, an increase in injuries was seen after 2021 in go-karting in children. Almost half of patients were seriously injured, requiring admission at the least. Resulting from this, considerations on minimum age for participation, enforcement of the use of safety devices including additional safety measures targeting truncal protection, and more clear laws and regulations are advised.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/children12111492","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]],"date-time":"2025-11-04T11:11:16Z","timestamp":1762254676000},"page":"1492","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["New Max Verstappen\u2019s on the Rise?: Go-Kart Incidents in a Level-I Trauma Center in the Netherlands"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Rania","family":"Farkhani","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Nijmegen Collaborative Research Consortium on Pediatric Trauma (NCRC-PT), 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elisa G.","family":"Hamer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Neurology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Erik","family":"Hermans","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Trauma Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5675-9759","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manouk","family":"Backes","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stijn D.","family":"Nelen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Trauma Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Parool, H. (2024, January 24). Het Verstappeneffect op de Kartbaan: \u2018Kinderen Willen Coureur Worden Door Max\u2019. Available online: https:\/\/www.parool.nl\/amsterdam\/het-verstappeneffect-op-de-kartbaan-kinderen-willen-coureur-worden-door-max~b00884928\/?referrer=https:\/\/www.google.com\/."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"685","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.3.5882.685","article-title":"Go-kart injuries at a fairground","volume":"3","author":"Miller","year":"1973","journal-title":"Br. Med. J."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"212","DOI":"10.1016\/0020-1383(78)90010-4","article-title":"Go-kart injuries","volume":"9","author":"Youngson","year":"1978","journal-title":"Injury"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"397","DOI":"10.1080\/13588265.2013.801293","article-title":"Go-kart related injuries and fatalities in Australia","volume":"18","author":"Grzebieta","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int. J. Crashwortiness"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1177\/102490790501200101","article-title":"Go-Kart Related Injuries: A Local Scene","volume":"12","author":"Ng","year":"2005","journal-title":"Hong Kong J. Emerg. Med."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpedsurg.2016.09.003","article-title":"Injuries and outcomes associated with recreational vehicle accidents in pediatric trauma","volume":"52","author":"Linnaus","year":"2017","journal-title":"J. Pediatr. Surg."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.2174\/1874325001004020107","article-title":"Trauma mechanisms and injuries associated with go-karting","volume":"4","author":"Eker","year":"2010","journal-title":"Open Orthop J."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"555","DOI":"10.1016\/0020-1383(94)90101-5","article-title":"Go-kart injuries of the shoulder region","volume":"25","author":"Freeman","year":"1994","journal-title":"Injury"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1080\/136518201753173872","article-title":"Fracture of the pancreas in two patients after a go-kart accident","volume":"3","author":"Govaert","year":"2001","journal-title":"HPB"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"340","DOI":"10.1308\/147870809X400930","article-title":"Isolated duodenal rupture due to go-karting accidents\u2014braking news","volume":"91","author":"Thomas","year":"2009","journal-title":"Ann. R. Coll. Surg. Engl."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1744-1633.2006.00285.x","article-title":"Go-kart injuries of the abdominal cavity","volume":"10","author":"Li","year":"2006","journal-title":"Surg. Pract."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"bcr2017220070","DOI":"10.1136\/bcr-2017-220070","article-title":"Go-karting injury: A case of laryngeal trauma","volume":"2017","author":"Brimioulle","year":"2017","journal-title":"BMJ Case Rep."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"310","DOI":"10.3109\/02688697.2010.544788","article-title":"The Isadora syndrome: A case report of cervical, oesophageal and tracheal transection in a go-karting accident","volume":"25","author":"Ahmad","year":"2011","journal-title":"Br. J. Neurosurg."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"329","DOI":"10.1007\/s00068-019-01273-4","article-title":"The evolution of trauma care in the Netherlands over 20 years","volume":"46","author":"Hietbrink","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur. J. Trauma Emerg. Surg."},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"Racing, D.H. (2024, April 29). Alle Kartbanen in Nederland per Provincie. Available online: https:\/\/denhartogracing.com\/race-blog\/alle-kartbanen-nederland\/."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"CTcue (2024, February 05). A Health Analytics Solution to Advance Medical Knowledge. Available online: https:\/\/ctcue.com\/solutions\/."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1619","DOI":"10.1007\/s00068-022-02206-4","article-title":"Concepts, utilization, and perspectives on the Dutch Nationwide Trauma registry: A position paper","volume":"49","author":"Hoepelman","year":"2023","journal-title":"Eur. J. Trauma Emerg. Surg."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"904","DOI":"10.1097\/ALN.0000000000003947","article-title":"The evolution, current value, and future of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification System","volume":"135","author":"Horvath","year":"2021","journal-title":"Anesthesiology"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Committee on Medical Aspects of Automotive Safety (1971). Rating the severity of tissue damage. I. The abbreviated scale. JAMA, 215, 277\u2013280.","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.1971.03180150059012"},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.1097\/00005373-197403000-00001","article-title":"The Injury Severity Score: A method for describing patients with multiple injuries and evaluating emergency care","volume":"14","author":"Baker","year":"1974","journal-title":"J. Trauma Acute Care Surg."},{"key":"ref_21","first-page":"75","article-title":"The Glasgow Coma Scale\u2014A brief review. Past, present, future","volume":"108","author":"Matis","year":"2008","journal-title":"Acta Neurol. Belg."},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"480","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(75)92830-5","article-title":"Assessment of outcome after severe brain damage","volume":"1","author":"Jennet","year":"1975","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_23","unstructured":"American Society of Anesthesiologists (2024, April 04). Statement on the ASA Physical Status Classification System. Available online: https:\/\/www.asahq.org\/standards-and-practice-parameters\/statement-on-asa-physical-status-classification-system."},{"key":"ref_24","unstructured":"(2025, May 01). Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS)-Association for the Advancement of Automotive Medicine. Available online: https:\/\/www.aaam.org\/abbreviated-injury-scale-ais\/."},{"key":"ref_25","unstructured":"Omni Calculator (2024, April 04). Injury Severity Score Calculator. Available online: https:\/\/www.omnicalculator.com\/health\/iss."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1004","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpedsurg.2014.01.041","article-title":"National trends in pediatric blunt spleen and liver injury management and potential benefits of an abbreviated bed rest protocol","volume":"49","author":"Dodgion","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Pediatr. Surg."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"269","DOI":"10.1007\/s00383-012-3227-y","article-title":"Handlebar injuries in children","volume":"29","author":"Klimek","year":"2013","journal-title":"Pediatr. Surg. Int."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"131","DOI":"10.4103\/2229-5151.134152","article-title":"Pediatric neurotrauma","volume":"4","author":"Kannan","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int. J. Crit. Illn. Inj. Sci."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1116","DOI":"10.1007\/s00268-022-06852-y","article-title":"Pediatric Trauma in The Netherlands: Incidence, Mechanism of Injury and In-Hospital Mortality","volume":"47","author":"Fylli","year":"2023","journal-title":"World J. Surg."},{"key":"ref_30","unstructured":"Nysingh Advocaten en Notarissen (2024, May 10). Ongeval in Kartbaan: Voldoende Veiligheidsmaatregelen?. Available online: https:\/\/www.nysingh.nl\/blog\/ongeval-kartbaan-veiligheidsmaatregelen\/."},{"key":"ref_31","unstructured":"Aarts Advocatuur, B.V. (2024, May 10). Nieuws: Exploitant Kartbaan Wegens Nalaten Toezicht houden en Niet Geven Veiligheidsinstructies Voor 50% Aansprakelijk Voor Letselschade Ervaren Kartster van 15 Jaar die Tijdens vrij Rijden in Botsing Komt Met Onervaren Karter van 20 jaar. Available online: https:\/\/www.aarts-advocatuur.nl\/nieuws\/exploitant-kartbaan-wegens-nalaten-toezicht-houden-en-niet-geven-veiligheidsinstructies-voor-50-aansprakelijk-voor-letselschade-ervaren-kartster-van-15-jaar-die-tijdens-vrij-rijden-in-botsing-komt-met\/."},{"key":"ref_32","unstructured":"Speedsportz Racing Park (2025, June 15). 7 Major Health Benefits of Go-Kart Racing. Available online: https:\/\/speedsportzracingpark.com\/blog\/7-major-health-benefits-of-go-kart-racing."}],"container-title":["Children"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-9067\/12\/11\/1492\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]],"date-time":"2025-11-04T12:10:27Z","timestamp":1762258227000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-9067\/12\/11\/1492"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]]},"references-count":32,"journal-issue":{"issue":"11","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11]]}},"alternative-id":["children12111492"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/children12111492","relation":{},"ISSN":["2227-9067"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2227-9067","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,4]]}}}