Townsville police begin e-scooter safety operations after 21 incidents reported so far this year

Another e-scooter safety blitz is underway in Townsville with cops responding to 21 serious crashes this year alone — two of them fatal — and hospital injury numbers also reaching a record high.

Senior Constable Phil Marshall and Senior Constable Jack Casey speak on e-scooter safety ahead of Townsville's Operation Ride Safe. Picture: Nikita McGuire

Another e-scooter safety blitz is underway in Townsville with cops responding to 21 serious crashes this year alone — two of them fatal — and hospital injury numbers also reaching a record high.

Inspector Damian Crosby said the Townsville district has seen too many serious crashes in recent months.

“Police frequently respond to e-scooter involved crashes where riders require treatment for serious injuries,” Inspector Crosby said.

“These are not toys and all road users need to be aware that they could seriously injure or even kill themselves, or another person, if they’re speeding, not wearing a helmet, drink or drug driving, or using a phone.”

A scooter at the intersection of Denham and Walker streets in Townsville's CBD. Picture: Blair Jackson

Statistics from Townsville University Hospital reveal a significant rise in e-scooter-related injuries, with 372 cases recorded so far this year compared to 278 in 2023.

This marks an almost 360 per cent increase in emergency department presentations since 2020.

Tragic incidents include father-of-four Richard Cooper, 49, who died in January after a e-scooter crash in the CBD left him with horrific head injury, and a 15-year-old girl killed in October when her e-scooter collided with an SUV and a motorbike in Deeragun.

Both deaths shocked the community and resulting in outpourings of grief from the families of each victims and the wider community.

Floral tributes after 15-year-old girl an e-scooter was killed in an accident at an intersection of the Bruce Highway and Deeragun Rd at Deeragun. Photo: Jami Roberts

Townsville police have rolled out Operation Ride Safe, a safety initiative aimed at educating e-scooter riders and enforcing critical safety measures.

The campaign, which runs until early next year, focuses on helmet use, avoiding distractions like mobile phones, and ensuring scooters are not ridden under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The operation also highlights where e-scooters can be ridden and enforces speed limits specific to certain areas.

Senior Constable Jack Casey said while the removal of e-scooter company Beam’s purple scooters in Townsville meant less rentable scooters were available, he says there had been a surge in the number of people purchasing their own private scooters.

He said the majority of users were following the rules and doing the right thing, but they was a number of people who don’t follow safety procedures.

“Particularly the helmets is probably one of the most common ones we’ve come across and on the incorrect roads,” he said.

The fines for rule violations are steep —$161 for not wearing a helmet, over $1200 for using a phone while riding, and $190 for driving on restricted roads.

Senior Constable Casey said a main target of the operation was e-scooters being used on busy, main roads where they are not meant to be ridden.

“If the speed limit’s more than 50km/h you can’t be on that road. If it’s 50km/h and has centre dividing lines you can’t be on that road either,” he said.

“They are designed for footpaths, and that’s where the speed limit of 12km/h comes in.”

He said when riding e-scooters on footpaths and at popular places such as The Strand, riders must be aware of pedestrians. 

Originally published as Townsville police begin e-scooter safety operations after 21 incidents reported so far this year