E-scooter fall-related hospitalisations surge in Australia

The number of Australians hospitalised with injuries sustained in incidents involving e-scooters has more than tripled since 2019, according to government data, Xinhua reported.

The report, released on Thursday by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW), showed that there were 4,089 hospitalisations for falls involving powered scooters in 2024-25, up 216.7% from 1,291 in 2019-20.

It said the population-wide hospitalisation rate for falls involving powered scooters increased from 5.1 per 100,000 people to 14.9 per 100,000 over the same period, while the rate for falls involving non-powered scooters fell from 6.8 to 4.9 per 100,000 people.

According to the report, males accounted for 69% of hospitalisations for falls involving powered scooters.

Hospitalisations rose most among people aged 12-15, from 3.1 per 100,000 people in 2019-20 to 33.4 per 100,000 in 2024-25.

Among boys aged 12-15, the hospitalisation rate was 54 per 100,000 people, compared with 12 per 100,000 among girls.

“While the data cannot tell us exactly how much of this change is due to increased use, it is consistent with the growing popularity of e-scooters in Australia over recent years,” AIHW spokesperson Jacqueline Rek said in a media release.

The proportion of hospitalisations following e-scooter falls that involved bone fractures increased from 46% in 2015-16 to 58% in 2024-25.

The report noted that new hospital codes introduced in July would allow future data to distinguish more clearly between e-scooters, e-bikes and other mobility devices.