Increase in electric bike and scooter casualties post-lockdown

Electric scooter injuries have risen alarmingly in Melbourne. Here’s what’s driving the spike in trauma figures.

Increased use of scooters and electric bikes is believed to be behind a spike in Melbourne hospital casualties.

It comes as users return to roads after lockdown, prompting an increase in emergency department admissions.

During lockdown, the Alfred Hospital reported a plunge in its usual trauma figures, with just half the number of typical cases.

However, this has climbed by 30 per cent since restrictions eased, with doctors acknowledging an increase in electric bike and scooter casualties.

Trauma services director at the Alfred, Mark Fitzgerald, said the increase coincided with both a rise in scooter use and a surge in post-lockdown traffic.

Scooter users are competing with a big increase in traffic. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ David Crosling

“A lot of people went and bought electric bikes and scooters, which were all OK when there was no traffic on the roads, but now they’re competing with a big increase in traffic, and as a result, it’s increasing the number of injured people, unfortunately,” he told the Herald Sun.

“There’s a lot more road trauma coming in and we do have a lot of two-wheeler injuries whether they are motorcycles, motorised bicycles or electric scooters. That has increased serious injuries.”

The spike comes just months after a scooter trial was announced in Melbourne to better understand how e-scooters could be safely used.

It is to be held across the City of Melbourne, City of Yarra, City of Port Phillip and the City of Ballarat after each municipality expressed interest.

Traffic across the city has also quickly bounced back, with Department of Transport data showing a surge in the number of vehicles at major intersections.

There was 96 per cent of pre-Covid traffic on November 30.

Originally published as Increase in electric bike and scooter casualties post-lockdown