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It was common when I was growing up to be told not to run with scissors. It seems the adults were particularly concerned about the risk of severe injury should I fall. Is there evidence that running with scissors is dangerous? Is walking with scissors safer?

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  • The key is to hold the scissors closed by the blade, that way if you fall you don't stab yourself!
    – Raystafarian
    Jan 15, 2016 at 13:52
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    don't run with knifes either...
    – Nikko
    Jan 15, 2016 at 16:06

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This question, much like Do children accidentally suffocate themselves with plastic bags? was covered by Ken Jennings in his book Because I said so.

In this book, the Author verifies and investigates many of these well known warnings passed down from generation to generation regarding safety.

On the entry on running with scissors the Author has this to say:

Do injuries actually result when kids run with scissors? They do! The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission maintains a fascinating database called the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a statistical sampling of emergency room visits nationwide. NEISS estimates that 4,556 kids under ten sought medical care in 2010 for scissor-related injuries, none of which were fatal.

He goes on to point out that nineteen of these injuries since 1997 implied that "running with scissors" was at least partially the cause (and comments that those kids parents must have been devastated!).

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    But does this distinguish running with scissors from walking with scissors? That's the OP's final question. I'd say yes - when running your chances of falling are larger than when you're walking - but I have no data to back that up (other than anecdotes).
    – user22865
    Jan 15, 2016 at 13:36
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    Is there a breakdown of the types of injuries? It is often implied that lost eyesight is a very real danger when you're running with scissors.
    – John Dvorak
    Jan 17, 2016 at 9:29
  • @JohnDvorak It's been a while since I read the book, but I remember him pointing out that the majority of scissors injuries in children are buttock injuries from sitting on them.
    – Sean Duggan
    Mar 19, 2021 at 23:17

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