Growing Number of Children Hurt in E-Scooter Crashes

A growing number of children are being injured in e-scooter crashes in the UK, with some as young as nine hurt in the incidents.

Some hospitals are seeing a rise in the number of children with injuries from e-scooters, according to a new review. The review suggests that three trauma centres in the UK - Liverpool, Manchester, and Sheffield - have treated 477 under-16s since 2019, with the number of cases per year rising from fewer than 10 in 2019 to nearly 150 in 2024.

The average age of those injured was 12, with the youngest being nine. Hardly any of the children were wearing helmets at the time of the incident.

The emergency department doctors are calling for laws to better protect children. Currently, there is no legal age restriction, speed limit, or safety equipment requirement for the estimated 1.2 million people who own private e-scooters in the UK.

Some e-scooters have a "turbo mode" setting, which allows them to reach speeds of around 28mph. Recently, a UK teenager using one of these crashed and killed his 14-year-old friend on a busy road, one of 59 deaths involving e-scooters in the UK to date.

## E-Scooter Safety Concerns

Most of the incidents in Manchester, Liverpool, and Sheffield involved private e-scooters, often on public roads, pavements, or footpaths, despite it being illegal. Private e-scooters are meant only for use on private land, with the owner's permission.

| Age Group | Number of Children Injured | | --- | --- | | 10-13 | 235 | | 14-15 | 142 | | 9 and under | 100 |

Half of the children injured were aged between 10 and 13. Nearly two-thirds were boys. Most injuries were sustained by the rider - only 5% were pedestrians that had been hit by an e-scooter - and the most common cause was falling off the e-scooter.

Around 11% were collisions with a vehicle, which was often linked to more serious injuries. Injuries to the arms and legs were the most common, followed by head or facial injuries.

The doctors say tougher laws are urgently needed. Helmet use is not mandatory in the UK, unlike some other countries. Some have described the private e-scooter situation in the UK as the "Wild West" with few following any rules.

## Calls for Change

The researchers told the Emergency Medicine Journal that schools, local councils, youth groups, and road safety campaigns all have a role to play in reducing the number of e-scooter crashes.

"Clearly, reporting these accidents is important to influence and change policy, but there must also be an onus on retailers to clearly advise customers of the law, and policymakers to regulate private e-scooters, such as with speed limiters, or mandate helmet use," they say.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "These are concerning findings, and our thoughts are with anyone who has been injured on our roads. It is illegal for private e-scooters to be used on roads, pavements, or in other public spaces, including by under 16s, and we're bringing forward new laws to make their use safe and legal, including consulting on requirements like helmets.