Grieving dad’s call to ban e-scooters as injuries skyrocket in Townsville
A heartbroken father is calling for a ban on e-scooters after his son was killed in a horrific crash in Townsville — saying he thought it was a “neat little toy” until it cost his boy his life.
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A heartbroken father is calling for a ban on e-scooters after his son was killed in a horrific crash in Townsville, saying he thought it was a “neat little toy” until it cost his boy his life.
Richard Cooper, 35, a father of four, was left brain dead after attempting to bunny hop his e-scooter onto a footpath in the Townsville CBD without a helmet on January 18, 2024.
He fell and landed on his head with such force that it caused catastrophic brain injuries, and he died the next day in the hospital.
His father, Trevor Cooper, says the pain still hasn’t faded.
“It’s taken us 12 months to get back on our feet,” he said. “I wouldn’t wish this on any parent.”
Trevor, who has watched confronting dashcam footage of the crash, says it’s an image that will stay with him forever.
“He hit the ground pretty hard...it was very hard to watch,” he recalled.
“He normally wears his helmet, but that day he wasn’t wearing one.”
And that single decision proved fatal.
“I reckon [the helmet] would have saved his life,” Trevor said.
“I see so many e-scooter riders doing the same thing but now I know first-hand it’s a decision that can end in tragedy
“All it takes is a split decision, where you do just one little thing wrong, and then it’ll cost you.”
Tragically, his son’s death wasn’t an isolated incident. Just months later, in October, a 15-year-old girl was also killed in an e-scooter crash in Deeragun.
The same year, Townsville University Hospital reported a staggering 60 per cent surge in e-scooter injuries, rising from 277 in 2023 to 444 cases in 2024.
From high-powered private models to commercial hire scooters operating under council permits, Trevor says it’s time for tough new rules — or a total ban.
“They’re dangerous — they should ban them or at least increase the fines to deter people from breaking the rules,” he said.
“They should make them go at a snail’s pace in those busy areas. I’ve seen people cruising down footpaths and nearly taking people out all the time.”
“I’d recommend parents not to buy their kids any of these e-scooters, because if they have an accident, you’ll be regretting it for the rest of your life.”
“To lose our boy to an e-scooter, I thought that was a neat little toy, until it killed my son.”
And he’s not alone. A Townsville Bulletin online poll of more than 1500 readers found over 70 per cent want the council to pull the plug on e-scooters in the city.
It comes after councils on the Sunshine Coast and in Melbourne scrapped their commercial trials last year.
Townsville Highway Patrol Acting Senior Sergeant Nathan Ivey urged e-scooter riders to familiarise themselves with the rules and obey the law.
“As well as ongoing patrols, Townsville Highway Patrol conducts a number of PMD safety and compliance operations throughout the year to ensure riders are wearing helmets, following the road rules and the speed limits. It is important to ride to the conditions especially taking care around pedestrian on paths.”
Asked abotu the hospital stats that showed a rise in incidents, Townsville City Council acting mayor Ann-Maree Greaney said e-scooter accidents were only a small part of a much larger group of users.
“E-scooters provide a cheap and accessible mode of transport for the community and fill a gap in access to public transport, Townville sits among the highest city for trips per capita in Australia with more than 600,000 trips reported in the 2023/24 financial year,” Cr Greaney said.
“Unfortunately the hospital’s data doesn’t differentiate private and public e-scooters incidents, but what we’re seeing is a minority when it comes to users not following road rules, riding underage or without helmets, on the wrong side of the road, or intoxicated and putting themselves and others in harm’s way.
“My thoughts are with those who have been injured, but like any vehicle, when you get on one of these devices, you are the one in control and there are a set of rules you must follow for your safety and those around you.
“Council has a strenuous tender review process which includes reviewing the safety of devices and operator processes, however it’s not fair to blame operators for the misuse of these devices or other road users.”
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Originally published as Grieving dad’s call to ban e-scooters as injuries skyrocket in Townsville
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