E-micromobility is booming, but so are injuries

E-micromobility, which involves the use of electric-powered, lightweight vehicles including electric scooters (e-scooters), e-bikes, and other personal mobility devices such as Segways, has seen a significant rise in popularity in Australia over recent years.

This trend is driven by the need for sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective transportation options, particularly in urban and suburban areas.

But, while they offer eco-friendly and cost-effective transport, the uptake of them also comes with safety concerns and a steep rise in related trauma, with injuries and deaths in riders, passengers, and pedestrians.

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The introduction of e-scooters in Australia began in 2018 with the launch of public hire schemes in Brisbane by companies like Lime. Since then, other companies, including Beam and Neuron, have expanded their operations across various Australian cities.

The adoption rate of e-scooters has been impressive, with 3.6 million Australians using e-scooters in 2022 alone, accounting for a 30% share of the e-micromobility market. This figure highlights the rapid acceptance and integration of e-mobility into daily commuting and recreational activities.

E-scooters have become particularly popular in cities where they are legal, such as Brisbane, Canberra, and parts of Western Australia.

In September last year, the City of Melbourne banned e-scooters for hire in its municipality, joining other cities globally including Paris, Rome, Montréal and Toronto in banning the use of rental e-scooters. People can still hire them in the City of Yarra and the City of Port Phillip.

The economic impact of e-scooters is also notable, contributing $728 million to the Australian economy in 2022. This includes direct spending on e-scooter rentals and purchases, as well as indirect benefits such as increased patronage of local businesses.

Regulatory landscape

The regulatory framework for e-mobility devices varies across Australian states and territories. Regulations typically cover aspects such as speed limits, age restrictions, and designated riding areas (footpaths, roads, shared paths). For instance, Queensland was the first state to legalise e-scooter use, setting a precedent for other regions.

However, the lack of uniform regulations can sometimes lead to confusion and inconsistent enforcement.

Prevalence of injuries

While e-mobility offers numerous benefits, it also presents significant safety challenges. The rise in e-scooter usage has been accompanied by an increase in related injuries, placing additional pressure on healthcare systems.

In its latest edition, Monash University’s Accident Research Centre’s (MUARC) bi-annual publication Hazard investigated the prevalence of e-micromobility-related death, and injury that resulted in emergency department presentations. The report was authored by MUARC Associate Professor Janneke Berecki-Gisolf and data analyst Dr Jane Hayman.

It found that, in the five-year period from 1 January, 2016, to 31 December, 2020, there were “14 deaths reported to an Australian state or territory coroner where an electric e-micromobility device … contributed to the death”. Half of those were related to e-bikes.

In terms of injuries, there were 2778 emergency department presentations between 2017-18 and 2022-23 in Victoria. Of these, 1680 were e-scooter injuries, 534 e-bike injuries, and 564 from self-balancing devices. Injuries in all three e-micromobility modes were more common in males than females.

The highest injury rates for e-scooters and e-bikes were in adolescents and young adults 15 to 24 years of age.

The most common type of injury sustained in all three modes was a fracture, “accounting for more than half of self-balancing device injuries, and more than one-third of e-scooter and e-bike injuries”, the report said.

The most common injury was to the upper body – e-scooter (36%), e-bike (33%) and self-balancing device (64%) – and the most common type of injury was a fracture to the wrist, hand or forearm, and injuries were most likely to occur in summer and on weekends.

“Head, neck and face injuries were also relatively common, constituting 23% of e-scooter injuries, and 14-15% of e-bike and self-balancing device injury ED presentations in Victoria,” the report said.

“This underscores the importance of helmet-wearing, through the relatively high number of head injuries and severe injuries,” said Professor Berecki-Gisolf.

The report said “alcohol involvement was of particular concern”.

“Although not well-recorded in the current Victorian data, hospital-treated e-scooter injury studies in other Australian jurisdictions have reported alcohol involvement in 27% to 41% of cases, [and] 71% in admitted patients,” Professor Berecki-Gisolf said.

“In a study of orthopaedic injuries related to e-scooters, 58% were recorded to be intoxicated (alcohol or illicit drugs).”

The report makes several recommendations to address the rise in e-scooter and e-bike related injuries, including:

• Infrastructure development, which could coincide with cycling infrastructure upgrades.
• Increase community education and awareness campaigns, in particular age limits for on-road use of private e-scooters.
• Increase community awareness of e-scooter regulations in Victoria, particularly in relation to inner-city night-time use. 
• More police enforcement of rules and regulations.

“Ongoing monitoring of e-micromobility-related injuries, and analysing the impacts of regulatory change is essential for guiding efforts to enhance safety and prevent injuries in the future,” said Professor Berecki-Gisolf.

You can read the full Hazard report here.