CHILDREN'S E-SCOOTER INJURIES SURGE AT THREE ENGLISH HOSPITALS

The number of children injured in e-scooter crashes at three specialist paediatric trauma centres in England has risen significantly since 2019, according to research published in the Emergency Medicine journal. Researchers reviewed injuries among under-16s at Alder Hey in Liverpool, Sheffield Children's Hospital and Royal Manchester Children's Hospital between January 2019 and December 2024. The three hospitals recorded a total of 477 e-scooter injuries during this period. The average age of those involved in collisions was 12 years, with some children as young as nine sustaining injuries.

Most injuries affected the limbs, followed by head and facial damage. Fewer than 2% of injured patients had been wearing a helmet. Half of all injured children were aged between 10 and 13. More than 80% of the injuries were sustained on privately owned e-scooters, which are only legal to ride on private land, yet the majority of accidents occurred on public land, roads and parks. Up to 1.2 million people in England are believed to privately own e-scooters, which retailers sell from high street shops.

The researchers called for policy changes to address the injury pattern. They stated that policymakers should regulate private e-scooters through measures such as speed limiters or mandatory helmet use. The researchers also urged retailers to clearly advise customers of the law surrounding e-scooter use. Rented e-scooters remain legal to ride on public roads, provided the rider is at least 16 years old and holds a provisional driving licence.