Minors should be prohibited from riding electric scooters, studies have shown.
This comes at a time when there has been a rapid increase in the number of scooter-related accidents among children.
What was initially advertised as a recreational toy has now become a serious health hazard for children, with many ending up with severe injuries.
Scooter Accident Statistics in Minors
According to a study conducted by Queensland Children’s Hospital in South Brisbane between 2009, when electric scooters were not prevalent, and 2025, when they had become fully adopted into society, a quarter of children injured in scooter accidents ended up in the ICU, while two-thirds required surgery.
The data further showed that the number of injuries doubled between 2021 and 2024. Minor males were the most affected, with three-quarters of the victims being boys. The median age of the injured children was found to be 13 years.
Importance of wearing helmets
To paint a grim picture, two-thirds of minors involved in scooter accidents were not wearing helmets, exposing them to a greater risk of head injuries.
A paediatrician, Roy Kimble, at the hospital advised that wearing a helmet, even for a short distance, can make a huge difference since helmets reduce the risk of head injuries by 44 per cent.
“Even for short trips,” he said. “A helmet can mean the difference between an acute head injury and long-term neurocognitive consequences.”
Helmets act like shock absorbers, preventing direct contact between the head and the ground, thereby reducing the severity of injuries to a large extent.
Expert Medical Opinions
In a separate incident at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States, paediatrician Dr Robert Konig noted that he had never seen such a significant rise in scooter-related accidents in his 25-year career.
Children’s Scooter Riding Risks
He added that another reason children should not be allowed to ride scooters is that they lack the physical weight, balance, and developmental coordination required to effectively handle these eco-friendly mobility vessels.
With such devastating results, most governments in European countries have moved to enact stringent measures to curb this trend. Scooter rental platforms have also limited rentals to individuals above the age of 18.
electric scooter injury prevention
However, to effectively curb electric scooter accidents among minors, more parental vigilance is needed before state intervention becomes necessary.
Since it is parents who purchase these scooters for their children. Stopping this practice or allowing children to ride only within their neighbourhoods under close parental supervision.
Safe Riding Guidelines
The minors should be advised to ride at much lower speeds while wearing protective gear.
This would help prepare them for the future, especially since scooters are increasingly becoming part of modern transportation systems.
With the rapid adoption of scooters, particularly in America, experts predict that scooters could become a major mode of transport by 2035.
