Arabic version: حالات دخول المستشفى بسبب الدراجات الكهربائية الصغيرة تتجاوز ثلاثة أضعاف في أستراليا
According to ABC News, e-scooter hospitalisations in Australia more than tripled from 1,291 in 2019-20 to 4,089 in 2024-25, a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found. Two-thirds of people hospitalised in 2024-25 were male, while teenage boys were a major driver of the increase.
The number of boys aged 12 to 15 admitted to hospital after e-scooter falls rose 15-fold between 2019-20 and 2024-25. Boys in that age group were four times more likely than girls to be hospitalised because of an e-scooter fall. The report also identified rising hospitalisation rates for e-bike riders, though it said the data were harder to capture because of injury classifications.
E-scooter-related deaths increased from seven in 2014-15 to 20 in 2024-25, while the proportion of deaths remained stable. New codes introduced in July will help distinguish injuries involving e-mobility devices, including e-scooters and e-bikes. AIHW spokesperson Jacqueline Rek said the findings should not be treated as precise counts for either device alone and described the report as the first national view of the issue.
University of Queensland research estimates Queenslanders privately own almost 1 million e-bikes and e-scooters. Researcher Richard J Buning said purchases of e-mobility devices had grown by 30 per cent each year for five years, and raised concerns about unsafe, over-powered e-bikes. He said stronger federal e-bike import standards introduced last year were intended to limit access to unsafe devices.
Queensland requires e-bike riders to be at least 16 and hold a valid driver’s licence, including a learner licence. Children aged 12 to 17 who are not licensed must have parental supervision when riding an e-bike or e-scooter. From March 2027, e-bikes ridden in public in the state will need a compliance label. Dr Buning also called for targeted school-based safety education, noting that 70 per cent of e-mobility device users are over 40.
