A series of alarming accidents involving electric scooters and electric bikes has resulted in eight people, including teenagers, being rushed to hospitals across Queensland in a single night.
A Night of Multiple Incidents
The spate of incidents began on Monday evening. A man in his 20s sustained an arm injury after a collision between an e-scooter and a car in Ashgrove at 6.20pm, requiring transport to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.
Less than half an hour later, a teenage girl suffered head and neck injuries in an e-scooter incident at Queentown. Further injuries were reported across the state: a man in his 40s hurt his hand in Capella, and another man in his 20s suffered an arm injury in Woodridge.
The accidents continued into the night. Around 10.38pm in Cairns, a teenage boy was taken to Cairns Hospital with facial and head injuries. Shortly after, a man in his 20s was transported to Hervey Bay Hospital with arm and leg pain following another e-scooter crash. The final recorded incident occurred at approximately 1.54am in Bli Bli, where a teenage boy with facial and head injuries was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital after an e-bike crash.
Queensland's Deadly Record and Government Inaction
This disturbing night follows a similar pattern from earlier in December, when 11 people were hospitalised overnight following a series of pre-Christmas incidents. New research underscores a grave crisis.
Data from the Queensland Injury Surveillance Unit (QISU) reveals that five people are hospitalised daily in the state due to e-scooter crashes. Most alarmingly, Queensland is the deadliest state for e-scooter fatalities among children. The QISU found that one-third of all e-scooter deaths in Australia are children under 16, with nearly half of those tragic deaths occurring in Queensland.
Despite these stark figures, the Queensland state government, led by Premier David Crisafulli and Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg, has refused to introduce tougher safety measures ahead of the summer period when use of these devices typically soars. The government is awaiting a parliamentary inquiry report into personal e-mobility devices, which is not due until March.
National Context and Contrasting Approaches
The issue is a national concern. Across Australia, at least 14 people, including several children, have died in e-bike or e-scooter incidents in the past year. This has prompted action in other jurisdictions.
In New South Wales, Premier Chris Minns announced plans to consider lowering e-bike speed limits "within months." The NSW government also intends to review the definition of an e-bike to prevent powerful motorcycle-style devices being sold as bicycles and wants to halve the maximum power output from 500 watts to 250, limiting speeds to around 30km/h. This move would bring NSW in line with other states.
Minns's announcement came on the same day a man in his 30s died after his e-bike collided with a garbage truck in Sydney's CBD. "It underlines the point – these [bikes] can be very dangerous," Minns told radio station 2GB. "Young kids that are using them, we want to make sure that people are safe, particularly during the holiday period."
The contrasting approaches highlight the growing policy dilemma as personal electric transport devices become increasingly popular, posing significant challenges for regulators aiming to balance innovation with public safety.
