E-scooter injuries on the rise across Canada, data shows

Canadian health data reveals a significant increase in hospitalizations due to injuries from scooters and e-scooters. The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reported nearly 1,000 people were hospitalized for scooter-related injuries during the 12-month period starting April 1, 2023, up from 810 in the same period of 2022-23.

Half of the injuries (498) involved motorized e-scooters, representing a 32% increase over the 375 e-scooter hospitalizations recorded in 2022-23. CIHI's Tanya Khan emphasized that many of these unintentional injuries are predictable and preventable.

Emergency physicians warn the injuries can be severe, including brain, facial, and dental trauma, fractures requiring multiple surgeries, and traumatic brain injuries needing intensive care. Injuries occur both when riders are hit by cars and when pedestrians are struck by riders.

The trend is starkly illustrated at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), which saw e-scooter injuries jump from one case in 2020 to 46 cases in 2024. In May 2024 alone, SickKids treated 16 scooter-related injuries, far exceeding the three or fewer seen in previous Mays.

Dr. Daniel Rosenfield, a pediatric emergency physician at SickKids, described the range of injuries from bumps and fractures to life-altering head injuries and internal bleeding requiring trauma teams or intensive care. He stressed that recovery can involve multiple surgeries or result in lifelong disabilities needing rehabilitation.

Given the severity of injuries witnessed, Dr. Rosenfield strongly implores parents not to buy e-scooters for children, stating definitively, "They are not toys." He emphasized that operating e-scooters safely requires physical maturity and cognitive abilities similar to driving a car, including understanding spatial awareness, turning mechanics, and anticipating obstacles.