Safety concerns as Brisbane man dies after scooter fall

A man who fell from an electric scooter and had a heart attack has passed away.

Lime launched the e-share scooters in Brisbane in January. The scooters are ridden on footpaths and can reach up to 30km/h. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/The Australian

A man has died after he crashed a Lime scooter this week in Brisbane, renewing safety concerns after scores of injuries have been reported during the six-month trial of the popular electric rentals in the city.

The 50-year-old man, who died yesterday, was riding the scooter shortly after midnight on Wednesday down a path in the South Bank Parklands where it is believed he came off the scooter and fell down steps, hitting his head.

When paramedics arrived, the man was in cardiac arrest and needed to be revived. He was wearing a helmet.

In the past two months, 80 people have been treated for scooter injuries at the city’s two largest hospitals, with 12 needing operations.

The e-share scooters have been trialled in Brisbane since December and have proved hugely popular with residents, leading to the US-based Lime company to announce plans this year to roll them out across Australia.

More than 165,000 people have downloaded the app to use them in Brisbane, with riders logging more than 900,000 trips.

Users pay by the minute through a smartphone app to scoot along the city’s footpaths at what is supposed to be a maximum speed of 25km/h. Some users have reported reaching speeds in excess of 30km/h.

The scooter company said a software glitch was not to blame for the man’s death.

Lime’s ­director of government affairs and strategy, Mitchell Price, said the company had taken out $22 million in public liability insurance for its Australian operation. “We are truly saddened by this news, and we extend our sincerest thoughts and prayers to the man’s family,” he said.

But accident liability lawyers have warned riders to be wary of the agreement they sign that waives accountability for the operation of a scooter, and responsibility for personal injury.

Queensland Ambulance Service clinical director Tony Hucker urged user caution. “Riding electric scooters comes with some risk ... it’s important that we understand that you should wear your helmet every time you ride them, watch out for your speed when you are on the footpath,” he said.