Eight dead, dozens critically injured as e-scooter crashes surge across Queensland

Eight people have been killed and dozens critically injured – many of those children – in an alarming surge in e-scooter crashes across Queensland this year.

• ‘Lucky to be alive’
• New trauma category needed

Eight people have lost their lives and almost two dozen have suffered life-threatening injuries as e-scooter crashes skyrocket across the state.

There have been 290 e-scooter crashes across Queensland since the start of the year and police say it is teenage riders who are most at risk, with three out of the seven people killed aged under 20.

Brisbane City highway patrol acting Sergeant Duncan Hill said the growing popularity in personal e-scooters were driving up incidents across the state.

“I’m concerned that we’ve got parents who are purchasing these devices without understanding the risk that goes with them. I honestly think that people just think that it’s a scooter, it’s a toy. These aren’t toys, these are basically motorbikes,” Sgt Hill said.

“Two, three years ago, even less, a vast majority of those incidents were in the city, Fortitude Valley, South Bank, on the hire scheme devices.

“But now we’ve got this other group of private devices – they’re the ones that are now really starting to take off and I think one of the reasons why the hire devices don’t get over-represented in the serious crashes or fatals is because of the limiting of the speeds.”

Queensland has recorded a surge in e-scooter crashes, with seven fatalities so far this year.

Market-bought e-mobility devices in Australia can travel at a capped speed of 25km/h, however if they are purchased from an outside seller or modified by the buyer – something that can be done via a quick YouTube search – they can travel at speeds up to 90km/h.

Queensland has some of the nation’s most relaxed laws when it comes to e-mobility devices,

with children over the age of 12 able to ride devices under adult supervision and by themselves from 16.

Riders were also able to claim rebates on e-bike and e-scooter purchases, with the state offering $500 towards the cost of an e-bike or $200 towards an e-scooter in an effort to reduce transport emissions.

The $2 million funding for this scheme was fully exhausted within a matter of weeks and it has now closed.

99 Bikes state leader Michelle Mordike said the explosion in popularity of e-scooters was not likely to die down anytime soon, as consumers saw many benefits to buying them, including the low cost and low environmental footprint.

“We’re seeing it grow year on year, and then with the rebate, we’ve seen an astronomical lift over the last little period that that’s been running in Queensland,” Ms Mordike said.

Ms Mordike said e-mobility sales jumped 261 per cent when the rebate scheme was announced, with the Queensland share of sales making up 65 per cent of all sales nationally.

There have been more than 3700 infringement notices issued to riders between January and August, with failing to wear a helmet the number one offence, followed by riding on a non-permitted road, speeding and doubling (two people on the device at the same time).

Authorities are calling for better education for e-scooter riders on safety risks.

Naomi Harling died last month after the e-scooter she was travelling on got caught on a missing piece of pavement, with the force propelling her on to the pavement and causing critical injuries. Ms Harling, a young mother of two, was not wearing a helmet.

Her sister Renee Chaplin is calling on the state government to launch an education campaign on e-scooter safety.

“Having just lost my sister to an e-scooter accident where she was not wearing a helmet, I am particularly triggered by the number of e-scooter riders I see in a day without helmets. Something really needs to be done to encourage the right behaviour and to save another family from the heartache we’re experiencing,” Ms Chaplin said.

“The popularity of e-scooters is too great to consider banning them entirely but I’d like to see a valid driver’s licence as a requirement for the use of e-scooters on public roads and pathways. This will stop children being on these devices but it will also mean that demerits can be applied on top of fines to seriously deter those who are exceeding speed limits or not wearing a helmet.

“I also think that there should be hefty fines for anyone who is found to be responsible for modifying speed limiters within e-scooters.”

RACQ’s principal technical researcher Andrew Kirk has been working alongside the Jamieson Trauma Institute in researching e-mobility safety, and agreed more needs to be done in educating riders about safety risks.

“Rules and enforcement are important, education is equally important, but there still needs to be that responsibility taken by the riders,” Mr Kirk said.

“Coming up to Christmas … if that child is under 16, an e-scooter is not an appropriate gift and should not be considered at all. And I think there’s a lot of parents out there that just think, it’s still a toy, it doesn’t go that fast.”

RACQ are currently developing a list of reforms and recommendations to address issues surrounding e-scooter safety, which will ultimately be presented to the State Government.