E-bikes and e-scooters are popular – but dangerous
A new study from Professor Geoff Rose and the Institute of Transport Studies has revealed a concerning rise in injuries related to e-scooters among young people on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.
Researchers have found that nearly 180 children aged five to 15 were treated at Sunshine Coast University Hospital for e-scooter injuries across 2023 and 2024 - with one in ten cases considered life-threatening or potentially life-threatening.
While e-scooters and e-bikes are praised for enhancing urban mobility and helping to reduce reliance on carbon-emitting vehicles, the latest data underscores the growing safety challenges tied to their rapid uptake.
Experts are calling for an urgent overhaul of the regulations governing the use of e-bikes and e-scooters, particularly to better protect younger riders and ensure the benefits of these technologies don’t come at the cost of public safety.
