Rising e-scooter crashes on Fraser Coast raise safety concerns in QLD

The third e-scooter crash in three weeks on the Fraser Coast highlights the growing safety risks of personal mobility devices in Queensland.

A woman in her 50s had become the third e-scooter crash victim on the Fraser Coast in the last three weeks. Photo: Christian Charisius/dpa

A woman in her 50s had become the third e-scooter crash victim on the Fraser Coast in the last three weeks.

Emergency services responded to Cove Blvd, River Heads after she had fallen from her scooter.

She was transported to Hervey Bay Hospital with head injuries about 6.15pm.

At the time of publication, the woman was in hospital in a stable condition.

This incident followed a man who suffered significant facial injuries after coming off an e-scooter in Pialba on March 7 and a teenage boy who suffered chest injuries after falling from his scooter in Maryborough on February 28.

The danger of e-scooters has been widely reported, with Queensland police urging parents to reconsider gifting their young children these devices.

As of December 18, 2024, eight people in Queensland had died after accidents involving personal mobility devices (PMD), like e-scooters or e-skateboards, compared to two lives lost in 2023, and dozens of riders were seriously injured.

Queensland has some of the most lenient PMD laws in Australia, with children over 12 allowed to ride e-mobility devices under adult supervision and by themselves from age 16.

In February, a Sunshine Coast principal banned e-scooters, e-bikes and e-boards at his school when he received a report of a young student riding an e-scooter without a helmet nearly being hit by a car on their way to school.

Originally published as Rising e-scooter crashes on Fraser Coast raise safety concerns in QLD