Spike in serious e-scooter crashes forces Brisbane to clamp down
A surge in serious crashes has forced one city to admit the rules may need to change around the popular shared transport.
On the Road
Don't miss out on the headlines from On the Road. Followed categories will be added to My News.
E-scooters have become a key feature of Brisbane’s bustling streetscape but a spike in serious crashes has forced authorities to admit something needs to change.
Eleven serious scooter crashes in November alone have resulted in a range of head, face chest, abdominal and leg injuries for riders, and forced Queensland government and Brisbane City Council to consider whether new rules are needed to prevent further carnage.
The city council has already announced a trial program that will lock e-scooters from midnight to 5am in the CBD and Fortitude Valley party district, with further regulations likely to be discussed at a key meeting of stakeholders on Wednesday night.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said disability advocates and road safety campaigners were also among the parties who would have their say.
“This important discussion will ensure we take a balanced and measured approach to e-scooter safety, rules and regulations,” Mr Bailey said.
“We’ve seen a massive uptake in active transport over the past year, which is great for the environment, good for health and wellbeing, and helps to reduce congestion on our roads.”
Shared e-scooter use has boomed in Brisbane since 2018 and – along with Canberra – the city is seen as a nation leader for the technology.
The city’s bayside region is set to launch a trial of shared e-scooters from December 1.
But Queensland paramedics are also attending more than one serious e-scooter crash a week, while hundreds of people are presenting at emergency departments.
A man in his 50s died in July when an e-scooter he was riding hit a pole at West End.
Shared e-scooters are already banned from the city’s Queen Street Mall and are generally not permitted on roads, bike lanes or other high-pedestrian areas.
Private e-scooter regulation will also be on the roundtable’s genda.
Originally published as Spike in serious e-scooter crashes forces Brisbane to clamp down
Driver explodes after P-plater’s highway move
Two P platers were driving at 110km/h down a busy motorway. What they did next nearly killed them.
’Mr and Mrs Karen’ erupt in winery carpark
An unsuspecting pair’s Australia Day weekend dinner at a ritzy winery in the Yarra Valley has been soured by a scary, foul-mouthed tirade.