Reckless e-scooter riders rack up thousands in fines as hospitalisations skyrocket
Police say more than 5500 infringements were handed out to e-scooter riders in 2023, including some clocking over 90km/h, while hospitalisations also reached a record high, surpassing cyclists for the first time.
QLD News
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Reckless e-scooter riders are racking up thousands of fines and causing chaos on city streets with strict rules not deterring them from flouting the law and endangering the lives of hapless pedestrians.
Hospitalisations for e-scooter-related injuries reached a record high in 2023, surpassing that of cyclists for the first time with more than 100 people a month ending up in emergency departments.
Police say last year more than 5500 infringements were handed out to e-scooter riders for doing the wrong thing, with some clocking 90km/h.
They say drugs and alcohol were contributing factors in a large number of the more serious crashes, including fatals.
Data from the Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit – which compiles information from 26 ED facilities – provided by Metro North Health’s Jamieson Trauma Institute, shows there were 1273 e-scooter presentations last year compared to 1033 in 2022, 707 in 2021 and 386 in 2020.
Transport and Main Roads says it is still investigating options to further address drink-riding, such as enabling police to conduct random breath tests.
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital emergency trauma specialist Gary Mitchell said electronic personal mobility devices had become the fourth-most common trauma presentation to the RBWH behind cars, falls and motorcycles.
Dr Mitchell said it surpassed bikes and pushbikes on the list.
“It is probably one of the key findings that is starting to concern us here,” he said.
”This is obviously a huge impact on the health care system.
The increase is most likely from private scooters due to the speed they can go.”
Dr Mitchell said the most common presentations were fractures to the upper limb, traumatic and severe brain injuries, abrasions and cuts.
“Every day we get serious injuries,” he said.
“We’ve had patients die in our hospital from e-scooter-related incidents, and patients who have died pre-hospital haven’t made it to hospital.
“We’ve had patients end up in intensive care with severe traumatic brain injuries.
“And we’ve obviously got the range of milder-to-moderate injuries.”
Dr Mitchell said they had to bring in a new criteria for e-scooters because there were patients coming in with significant injuries, so they now had a trauma response for it.
Queensland Police Brisbane City Highway Patrol Acting Sergeant Duncan Hill said helmets, riding in the wrong location and speeding were the top three infringements handed out.
In a 30-minute period in the Brisbane’s CBD, The Sunday Mail observed more than 10 riders without helmets secured correctly, speeding through red lights and even doing wheelies in front of the Supreme Court.
Since 2018, there has been a wider distinction between private scooters and those available for hire.
Sergeant Hill said people who had bought their own devices had become familiar with them and figured out the power of them.
“What we’re now seeing is people taking more risks with their own health and safety, riding it with a helmet on but then they’re riding it at 80-90km/h,” he said.
“They’re also riding it in traffic. They’re not toys.
“They look like a scooter.
“We had scooters as a kid. But these devices are not toys. These are very high-powered, and if not used correctly, dangerous vehicles.
“And a certain level of care needs to be given when riding, for yourself and for the other road users and pedestrians.”
Sergeant Hill said that while alcohol and drugs were not the most common infringement, they were still a significant problem.
“It’s my understanding that a lot of the more serious incidents that police have had to attend, drugs and alcohol played a factor,” he said.
While current legislation restricts police from conducting random breath tests, police officers still have the power to charge people for riding while intoxicated.
“If you’re riding while intoxicated, you are committing an offence and police have powers including the power of arrest to deal with that offence,” Sergeant Hill said.
A Transport and Main Roads spokesman said e-scooter riders were subject to under-the-influence offences with a court-imposed maximum penalty of $6192.
“TMR is currently investigating options to further address drink riding,” he said. “This may include future legislative amendments to enable random breath testing, setting an appropriate breath/blood alcohol concentration limit, and penalties for those offences.
“Public consultation commenced with social media polls released on StreetSmarts (TMR’s road safety education platform) in January which generated strong interest and indicated community support.
“Key stakeholders including vulnerable road user groups have also been consulted directly.
“Feedback from stakeholders and the community will be analysed before any changes are progressed.”
Dr Mitchell said researched published in 2019 that showed 27 per cent of e-scooter patients presented with alcohol on board.
After the study, Brisbane City Council introduced a trial in November 2021 where on Friday and Saturday between midnight and 5am users were not able to start an e-scooter trip in safe night precincts.
The trial has continued.
“Late-night hiring restrictions and other safety initiatives, including helmet locks, speed limits on shared paths, parking hubs and geofencing and no-ride zones are helping to make share scheme e-scooters and e-bikes safer for users and other pedestrians,” a council spokesman said.
“However, with the use of privately owned e-scooters and e-bikes continuing to grow quickly, the state government, which has overall responsibility for e-mobility regulations, will need to ensure the rules and enforcement keep pace with this increasingly popular form of travel.”
Originally published as Reckless e-scooter riders rack up thousands in fines as hospitalisations skyrocket
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