On the Sunshine Coast, e-scooters put two children in hospital every week

Two children a week are hospitalized in the Sunshine Coast after an e-scooter crash, according to Australian researchers who say 1 in 10 crashes involving children are potentially life-threatening. The researchers looked at 176 incidents where children aged 5–15 attended the Sunshine Coast University Hospital after an e-scooter crash from 2023–2024.

Despite QLD regulations, the researchers say the victim wasn't wearing a helmet in 42% of cases, 36% of cases involved speeding and 12% involved two people sharing a scooter. The researchers argue the minimum age limit for e-scooters should be raised to 16—up from 12 with parental supervision—until they can find a way to get younger e-scooter users to follow safety rules.

Public health and safety experts are calling for improved e-scooter safety regulation across Australia, after the new research published today in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health showed almost 180 young people under 16 required hospital treatment over two years on the Sunshine Coast alone.

The report is the first of its kind to capture pediatric e-scooter injury data in an Australian region. Experts say these findings expose a potentially widespread and increasing cause of major injury in children.

Researchers documented 176 pediatric e-scooter injuries in children and teens aged 5 to 15 years old attending Sunshine Coast University Hospital in 2023 and 2024. The researchers found that 1 in 10 e-scooter injuries were life threatening or potentially life threatening, while 37% of cases suffered a fracture.

Queensland legislation allows children aged 12–15 to ride e-scooters if they are supervised by an adult. Speeds should be curtailed to 25 km/h on roads and 12 km/h on pedestrian walkways. Helmets are required and two riders (doubling) are forbidden.

Alarmingly, 42% of cases analyzed in the study were children or teens who weren't wearing a helmet at the time of their accident, 36% involved speeds greater than 25 km/h and 12% involved doubling. Collisions with cars were seen in 13% of the presentations and 8% involving other e-scooters or mobility devices.

Most patients (71%) were male and the median age was 14 but ranged from 5 to 15 years.

Lead author Dr. Matthew Clanfield who worked at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital during the study period, says that he was concerned to see the frequency and range of injuries being caused by e-scooter use among pediatric patients.

"While working at the hospital, we would see a child or teen attend the emergency department with e-scooter injury every few days.

"The types of injuries ranged from minor fractures and injuries, through to traumatic brain injuries requiring a craniotomy. A lot of the parents attending were extremely upset to see their child hospitalized and weren't aware how risky e-scooters can be or the legal requirement for supervision under 16.

"It was previously uncommon to see 14-year-olds in our ED as they are generally healthy, but during the two-year study period scooters were the reason for 1 in 30 emergency visits within this age group. It's extremely concerning that young people are using these vehicles for fun and leisure and ending up in hospital as a result."

The release of the research follows an announcement from the Queensland Government that it will hold a public inquiry into e-scooters and other mobility devices.

Queensland and ACT are currently the only two states that allow e-scooter use under 16 years of age. Dr. Clanfield is calling for a minimum age of 16 to be imposed in Queensland until safety measures are improved.

Adjunct Prof Terry Slevin, CEO, Public Health Association of Australia says that e-scooters are a public health and safety concern across Australia, and while use of the devices has exploded, regulation has failed to keep pace.

"We understand that e-scooters can be a fun and convenient way to travel, but unfortunately the way they are being used now, particularly by teens and children at high speeds, are proving a genuine public health risk and injury prevention issue.

"This study provides data in one region and in one hospital, but this is an issue in every town and city where they have landed across Australia, including in busier areas. This study found almost 180 kids were hospitalized in one regional area, at one hospital. Multiply that finding across Queensland and Australia and we are looking at thousands of preventable injuries, as well as lives lost. It is the tip of the iceberg.

"All Australian states and territories need to keep pace with the speed at which these products are taking off to protect the health and lives of young people. Proper regulation and enforcement is the key."

More information:
Matthew Clanfield et al, Breaking bones and the rules: An audit of paediatric e-scooter trauma in a regional Queensland hospital, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health (2025). DOI: 10.1016/j.anzjph.2025.100245

Provided by Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health