E-scooter injuries in young Victorian children have risen 310% in three years, according to a new study of emergency cases.
The new research from Monash University looked at almost 4700 e-scooter-related emergency department cases in Victoria from 2022 to 2025.
It found injuries among children aged 2 to 14 years rose from 64 cases in 2022 to 263 in 2025 even though children under 16 are prohibited from riding e-scooters on roads.
Lead author Dr Lisa Sharwood is an injury epidemiologist at UNSW Sydney; she says the findings are indicative of a growing global challenge.
“The increase in injuries among children appears to be linked to the growing availability of privately owned e-scooters,” she says.
“Share-hire schemes have age-verification systems and do not allow children under 16 to ride but privately owned devices are much easier for children to access.”
She says many parents still view e-scooters as recreational devices and not vehicles capable of causing serious harm.
“What parents need to understand is that e-scooters are not toys. They can travel at speeds capable of causing serious injuries, including fractures and head injuries,” she says.
“Access to more powerful devices should be matched to experience, maturity and the ability to manage risk.”
Dr Sharwood says restrictions exist on high-powered vehicles for inexperienced drivers are because “skill develops over time”.
“Children can still access private e-scooters capable of speeds and acceleration that exceed their ability to safely control them,” she says.
GROWING E-SCOOTER CRISIS
The study also found young men remain the demographic most likely to be injured, accounting for 71.4% of hospital cases.
There were 4694 emergency department cases linked to e-scooters from 2022 to 2025, including 79 pedestrians struck by riders. Adults aged 15–24 years and 25–34 years accounted for almost half of all cases.
More than a third of injured riders needed hospital treatment while around a third arrived by ambulance, most classified as urgent or emergency cases.
“Emergency clinicians are not simply treating scrapes and bruises due to e-scooter injuries,” Dr Sharwood says.
“They are seeing fractures, head injuries and injuries affecting multiple parts of the body.”
The head was the most likely body region to be injured, ahead of injuries to the wrist, hand and forearm.
Co-author UNSW Professor Alexandra Martiniuk says the findings show e-scooter injuries are a genuine and growing burden on the health care system.
“These cases require significant hospital resources and place additional pressure on already busy emergency departments,” she says.
ABOUT THE STUDY: It was published amid a growing focus from governments on regulating e-scooters. The 2026–27 Federal Budget allocated $6.6 million to strengthen product safety and compliance standards for e-bikes and e-micromobility devices alongside $500m spending on infrastructure.
Privately owned devices may be contributing substantially to the growing injury list, particularly among children, the university says; nearly half of all child injuries occurred on roads despite riding being illegal for under-16s.
“It’s likely the solution will require a combination of enforcement, parental awareness and retailer responsibility,” Dr Sharwood says.
“Currently there is a disconnect between the rules and what is happening in practice.”
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