The use of e-scooters is on the rise in Canada, but along with their popularity comes a concerning increase in injuries, especially among young people, according to pediatricians, emergency physicians, and experts. Dr. Daniel Rosenfield, a pediatric emergency physician at SickKids hospital in Toronto and chair of the injury prevention committee for the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS), has witnessed a significant surge in various types of e-scooter-related injuries, ranging from minor cuts to severe brain trauma and fatalities.
In the past, severe e-scooter injuries were rare occurrences, but now, medical professionals are seeing a rise in such cases. At SickKids hospital, e-scooter injury cases escalated from 26 in 2023 to 46 in 2024 and 107 in 2025, with expectations of surpassing those numbers this year.
Similarly, the Montreal Children’s Hospital has experienced a tenfold increase in e-scooter injuries since 2023, with children sustaining severe facial injuries, broken jaws, and other serious wounds due to e-scooter accidents. A recent CPS survey revealed that over the previous year, there were 10 deaths, 12 ICU admissions, and 26 hospitalizations lasting more than two days as a result of e-scooter crashes, with head injuries observed in about half of the cases.
Notably, a study published in the Emergency Medicine Journal uncovered a surge in e-scooter-related hospital cases in Liverpool, Manchester, and Sheffield, showing an increase from less than 10 cases in 2019 to almost 150 in 2024. Alarmingly, less than two percent of those injured were wearing helmets, highlighting a crucial safety concern.
One poignant case in London, Ontario, involved a 12-year-old boy named Shawn, who suffered a fractured skull and was in a coma for over a week after a high-speed e-scooter crash. His recovery journey underscores the importance of helmet use and safety precautions when riding e-scooters.
The lack of clear regulations and varying laws across different provinces and territories in Canada has contributed to the challenges in addressing e-scooter safety. Many parents remain unaware of the rules governing e-scooter use, with some cities even banning the devices despite continued usage. Public education, better enforcement, and manufacturer accountability are cited as essential measures to mitigate e-scooter-related injuries and improve safety standards.
While recognizing the benefits of e-scooters in urban settings, experts emphasize the critical need to prioritize safety measures and promote responsible e-scooter usage to prevent further injuries among children and teenagers.