Photo: ANDREW KACIMAIWAI
More than a third of e-scooter riders needing emergency medical treatment in Queensland were travelling faster than 25km/h, according to new RACQ research.
The RACQ Head of Public Policy Dr Michael Kane also says 65 per cent of injured riders wore helmets and wants to see full-face helmets become mandatory.
“We’re seeing terrible results when people on standing scooters crash forward and injure their face on roads or other hard surfaces like cars,” he says.
The research, between RACQ and the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Foundation and conducted by the Jamieson Trauma Institute (JTI), shows reform of e-scooter rules is needed.
“It’s clear many riders on privately owned e-scooters are speeding and sustaining more severe injuries but riders on hired devices are still getting seriously injured,” Dr Kane said.
Interviews of 111 injured riders at five Queensland major emergency departments found 64 per cent of them were injured on a private e-scooter.
“What’s worrying is 65% of all riders said they were wearing a helmet which suggests standard helmets are not always protecting against facial injuries,” Dr Kane said.
Professor Doctor Michael Schuetz, JTI Director and a RBWH Orthopaedic Surgeon, said also of concern was the severity of speeding-related injuries: upper limb fractures and head injuries were the most common.
“We’re seeing a high proportion of private e-scooter users requiring urgent responses in the emergency department and being admitted to hospital with significant injuries, many who require orthopaedic follow ups, including surgeries,” Dr Schuetz says.
The JTI chairwoman of Trauma Surveillance and Data Analytics, Professor Kirsten Vallmuur says most injured riders were male and, on average, 34 years old.
“We’ve also found private scooter-related injuries are predominantly occurring during the week on the work commute while almost one-third of hire scooter injuries presented on a weekend …,” she says.
The RACQ wants private riders to wear full-faced helmets and hired scooters to become the more stable ‘sit-down’ type with a lower centre of gravity.
“In the lead up to Christmas we’re also reminding parents it’s illegal to let children under the age of 16 ride an e-scooter unsupervised. If you can’t consistently supervise, do not buy your kid an e-scooter,” Dr Kane says.
In 2024, eight people have died on personal mobility devices in Queensland.
As of September 30, there were 1050 admissions to state emergency departments resulting from an e-scooter accident.
RBWH, Princess Alexandra, Townsville, Gold Coast University and Robina hospitals all took part in the research.
