Montreal borough tightens rules on e-scooters as youth injuries skyrocket
80 scooter-related injuries in 2025 — 122 so far this year, Montreal Children's trauma director says
The Montreal borough of Saint-Laurent has adopted a new bylaw banning electric scooters and other motorized personal mobility devices in public areas that fall within its jurisdiction.
asserted
that → tighten → jurisdiction
That includes city parks, trails and sidewalks.
asserted
That → include → parks
Vana Nazarian, a city councillor for the borough, says the bylaw was adopted after a series of incidents and near misses over the summer, as the popularity of the devices continues to grow.
asserted
popularity → say → devices
"We're not banning them, but we want to make sure that with the speeds that these scooters have, they stay more on places where vulnerable populations won't be at risk," she told CBC's Let's Go.
asserted
's → ban → CBC
Nazarian added the borough is home to many young families and seniors, and they should be able to use parks and trails without being afraid or at risk of a collision.
asserted
they → add → collision
She's hopeful the bylaw will force those who ride e-scooters or e-unicycles and other motorized transportation devices to use them more responsibly.
asserted
who → force → them
The move comes just a little over two months after Quebec decided to extend its e-scooter pilot project, even as doctors warned the rules leave children at risk.
asserted
rules → come → risk
The original pilot, introduced in 2023, allowed for anyone 14 and older to use the devices on roads where the maximum speed limit is less than 50 km/h, as well as on bike paths.
asserted
limit → introduce → paths
Helmets are required at all times.
asserted
Helmets → require → times
Those rules will still apply along with new restrictions that came into effect on July 18, including a 25 km/h speed limit for e-scooters.
asserted
that → apply → scooters
Exceeding that limit can result in a $200 fine by police.
asserted
Exceeding → exceed → police
14 times more injuries than in 2023
Deborah Friedman, the trauma director at the Montreal Children's Hospital, says that since the pilot came into effect, the number of e-scooter injuries have skyrocketed.
asserted
number → say → injuries
"We have seen 14 times the number of traumatic injuries related to e-scooters than we did in 2023 when it was first implemented," Friedman said.
asserted
Friedman → see → 2023
Friedman, who is also the director of the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program (CHIRPP), said the severity of injuries is also increasing, with close to 20 per cent of the cases requiring hospitalization.
asserted
cent → say → hospitalization
"We're not talking about little cuts and bruises," she said.
asserted
she → talk → cuts
The injuries include traumatic brain injuries, multiple fractures to the face, lots of facial dental trauma, complicated fractures of limbs and abdominal trauma.
asserted
injuries → include → limbs
Friedman says close to 60 per cent of the children that present at the trauma centre are under 14 years old.
asserted
that → say → centre
"That's a problem," she said.
asserted
she → say → ?
Stronger regulations, better enforcement needed
Friedman commended the borough of Saint-Laurent for its new bylaw and encourages other municipalities to follow suit, but she says more needs to be done at the provincial and federal levels.
asserted
more → need → levels
Doctors across Canada have been advocating for stronger regulations and better enforcement of the rules.
asserted
Doctors → advocate → rules
Friedman said that in Quebec, they'd like to see the minimum age to use an e-scooter increased to 16, as well as a Class 6D licence made mandatory — the same licence needed to operate a vehicle like a moped.
asserted
age → say → moped
Friedman says younger children don't have the judgment, skill level, height or control to navigate e-scooters on the road, all while following the rules.
asserted
children → say → rules
The type of helmets used could also make a difference.
uncertain
type → use → difference
"You need to have something that's going to protect the face as well," Friedman said, saying many injuries they see are a result of children "faceplanting and ending up with profound trauma."
asserted
children → need → trauma
Friedman says e-scooter manufacturers also bear some responsibility with the labelling of their products and how they are sometimes marketed as though they are toys.
asserted
they → say → products
With the holidays around the corner, this type of issue is of particular concern, Friedman says.
"So we're trying to work at different levels to try to sensitize the public and encourage policymakers to hear our concerns and to base decisions on real data," she said.
asserted
she → say → data
"Each number that I mentioned is attached to a child, which is attached to a family, which is attached to a community."
asserted
which → mention → community
With files from Let's Go and Antoni Nerestant
asserted
's → let → Nerestant
The Aporia
