The Langley and Nanaimo-Ladysmith school districts in British Columbia have banned electric bikes and scooters from their properties due to an increase in injuries among underage riders. According to Dr. Genevieve Ernst, trauma medical director at BC Children's Hospital, the hospital has seen a 100% increase in emergency room visits related to e-scooter use, with 81 visits between April 2025 and 2026. The majority of these cases involved children aged 13-15 who were not wearing helmets, resulting in severe injuries such as fractures, head trauma, and long-term developmental issues. School officials are citing the spike in injuries as the reason for the ban, despite some parents expressing concern about accessible transportation options for youth.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-04,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
British Columbia school districts are cracking down on e-scooters and e-bikes after a surge in injuries among underage riders. The Langley School District has banned e-scooters and e-dirt bikes from all its schools, while the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district has prohibited elementary students from arriving at school on these vehicles.
The decision to implement bans was influenced by a significant increase in injuries among children and youth riders, with Dr. Genevieve Ernst of BC Children's Hospital reporting a steep rise in emergency room visits and devastating brain injuries as a result of e-scooter crashes.
In fact, the law requires light e-bike riders to be at least 14 years old, while e-bike or scooter riders must be 16. However, it appears that many underage riders are ignoring this regulation.
The trend is alarming, with BC Children's Hospital seeing a growing number of children and youth being injured in e-scooter crashes, often resulting in severe brain injuries.
Written for “E Scooter Safety Concerns” on 2026-09-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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Leaning score +0.35 for article 3981 (high confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-04
More British Columbia school districts are banning electric bikes and scooters from their properties ahead of the new school year, citing a spike in injuries among underage riders.
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districts → ban → riders
The Langley School District says in a letter to parents this week that e-scooters and e-dirt bikes are now banned at all of its schools, and the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district says elementary school students cannot arrive to school on an e-bike or scooter.
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students → say → bike
“If an e-bike or scooter does come to school we will call parents to come and pick up the e-bike or e-scooter,” the Nanaimo-Ladysmith school district’s communications director Gillian Robinson said.
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director → come → bike
Both school districts say an increase in injuries among children and youth riders influenced their decision to implement bans on school property.
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increase → say → property
Dr. Genevieve Ernst, trauma medical director at BC Children’s Hospital, said the hospital has seen a steep rise in both emergency room visits and devastating brain injuries for child patients as the result of e-scooter crashes.
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hospital → say → crashes
But data from the Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Surveillance Program shows the highest proportion of emergency room visits for e-scooter crashes were for children aged 13 and 15.
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proportion → show → children
Most were a result of falling off the scooter.
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Most → fall → scooter
Ernst said e-scooters are the culprit in the most severe injuries among patients involved in e-bike or scooter crashes at BC Children’s hospital.
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scooters → say → hospital
She said common injuries include fractures, road rash, abrasions and head injuries.
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injuries → say → fractures
More than half of those seriously injured were not wearing helmets.
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half → injure → helmets
“So what you can see is long-term stays at the hospital, need for critical-care surgery, and then more long-term issues with development and learning.”
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see → see → development
Resha Sabti, a parent from Langley, said her 12-year-old twins asked for e-scooters for their birthday last year, and it was upon researching the vehicles that she learned riders must be at least 16.
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riders → say → vehicles
She’s since had a close call with scooters, almost hitting two young girls as they rode downhill in the rain while wearing dark clothing.
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they → have → clothing
The girls were not wearing helmets, she added.
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she → wear → helmets
The Langley school district serves students in both the Township of Langley, where e-scooters are permitted as part of a provincial pilot project, and Langley City, where they are not.
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they → serve → project
Sabti, who is running for a council seat with the Township of Langley, said she’s brought her concerns about e-bikes to the township and school district because people are confused about where the rules apply.
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rules → run → township
Though she sympathizes with the need for the vehicles among youth who may lack accessible transportation in their communities, she said she also understands the need for a school ban.
uncertain
she → sympathize → ban
“I don’t think we should wait until a child’s death,” she said.
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she → think → death
