The rental e-scooter craze is sweeping the globe, with millions of the vehicles dotting pavements in more than 600 cities. Studies predict there will be 4.6 million shared e-scooters in operation worldwide by 2024.
While e-scooters have been praised as a greener form of transport, they have also caused scores of injuries and even deaths. Australia’s e-scooter fleet is comparatively small at around 10,000 units, yet major hospitals in Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are reporting “daily” presentations with e-scooter related traumas to both riders and pedestrians.
Worse, according to media reports at least seven Australians have been killed through falls or collisions since their introduction in 2018, including a 15-year-old Queensland boy last week.
