In short:
A report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has found e-scooter hospitalisations have more than tripled since 2019.
asserted
hospitalisations → find → 2019
Two-thirds of those hospitalised in 2024-25 were male with largest increase in young boys aged between 12 and 15.
asserted
thirds → hospitalise → 12
Teenage boys riding e-scooters drove a sharp rise in hospitalisations over the last five years, according to a report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
uncertain
boys → rid → Health
The number of boys aged 12 to 15 hospitalised following e-scooter falls saw a 15-fold increase between 2019/20 and 2024/25.
asserted
number → age → 2019/20
Boys in that cohort were four times more likely than girls to end up in hospital because of an e-scooter fall.
It also found hospitalisation rates increased for e-bike riders, but these data were harder to capture because of how these injuries were classified.
asserted
injuries → end → riders
The report found e-scooter-related deaths increased over the last decade from seven in 2014/15 to 20 in 2024/25; however, the proportion of deaths was stable.
asserted
proportion → find → deaths
New codes introduced in July this year will help better differentiate between e-mobility devices such as e-scooters and e-bikes, the report said.
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report → introduce → scooters
AIHW spokesperson Jacqueline Rek said the improved data will help better understand the risks surrounding e-mobility devices.
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data → say → devices
"Meaning these findings should not be interpreted as precise counts of injuries involving e-scooters or e-bikes alone," Ms Rek said.
"
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Rek → mean → e
This report provides the first national view on this topic, while also highlighting where more data is needed.
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data → provide → topic
"
What can improve safety?
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What → improve → safety
E-bikes and e-scooters are now mainstream, with almost 1 million privately owned by Queenslanders, according to University of Queensland research.
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million → own → research
Richard J Buning, who worked on the research, said improving safety was crucial given the growth.
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improving → work → growth
"Every single year over the last five years, the growth in e-mobility device purchases has risen by 30 per cent," he said.
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he → rise → cent
Dr Buning said unsafe devices such as over-powered e-bikes were among his chief concerns.
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devices → say → concerns
Last year, the federal government introduced stronger e-bike import standards similar to those in the European Union (EU), limiting access to unsafe devices.
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government → introduce → devices
"It's these unsafe, uncompliant, illegal devices that are creating much of the problems of people riding really fast on high-powered devices," Dr Buning said.
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Buning → create → devices
"But the safe, compliant devices, they don't provide more power than just a normal typical average fit person can provide."
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person → provide → power
Dr Buning highlighted Queensland as one jurisdiction in the country leading e-mobility device regulation.
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Buning → highlight → regulation
People riding e-bikes in the state must be 16 or older and hold a valid driver's licence, including a learner licence.
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People → rid → licence
Children aged between 12 and 17 (where 16- and 17-year-olds do not hold a driver's licence) will only be able to ride an e-bike or e-scooter with parental supervision.
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olds → age → supervision
Dr Buning disagreed with licensing e-bikes but praised the state's e-bike assurance scheme, which followed EU regulations.
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which → disagree → regulations
It will mean from March 2027, all e-bikes in the state must have a compliance label to ride in public.
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bikes → mean → public
"So stopping those things from being sold and making sure that the public knows if they buy one of these devices that are uncompliant, they cannot legally ride it on the road," he said.
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he → stop → road
Dr Buning also suggested more targeted initiatives to better educate those who are riding unsafely, which was mostly younger people.
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which → suggest → those
"Ideally we can get into schools and teach them how to ride a device safely.
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we → get → device
That's probably going to take out the majority of the problematic behaviour,"he said.
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That → go → behaviour,"he
"Because the vast majority of people that use e-bikes are actually much older, 70 per cent of e-mobility device users are over the age of 40.
asserted
cent → use → 40
"That highly visible behaviour may be obscuring public perception of an overall quite inclusive and sustainable transport mode."
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behaviour → obscure → mode
The Aporia
