Nearly 500 kids injured by e-scooters since 2019, 3-centre study in England shows
Average age of injured kids is 12; less than 2% reportedly wearing a helmet Clearer public health messaging and review of government legislation urgently needed
Nearly 500 children have been injured by e-scooters since 2019, with less than 2% reportedly wearing a helmet, and their average age just 12, shows a 3-centre study in England, published online in Emergency Medicine Journal.
Clearer public health messaging and a review of government legislation are urgently needed, in light of the findings, say the researchers.
E-scooters have become an increasingly popular form of transport worldwide, because they are cheap, fast, and convenient. And in July 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK government launched e-scooter rental trials in England, which are due to complete in 2028, explain the researchers.
Since 2019, e-scooters have been involved in 59 reported deaths in the UK, where riding privately owned e-scooters is illegal unless on private land, and with the owner’s permission, they add.
But unlike rental use, which isn’t legally permitted until at least the age of 16, private use is unregulated, they point out.
While these vehicles are designed for adults, they are often used by children and teens, who are likely to be novice road users and to take more risks, say the researchers, prompting them to try and gauge the numbers and severity of injuries involving e-scooters in this age group.
They focused on emergency care data spanning January 2019 to December 2024 from 3 children’s major trauma centres in the cities of Liverpool, Manchester, and Sheffield. Liverpool and Manchester are part of the government’s e-scooter rental pilot; Sheffield isn’t.
Between 2019 and 2024, the 3 trauma centres dealt with 477 patients with e-scooter injuries, with the overall numbers of cases rising from fewer than 10 in 2019 to nearly 150 in 2024.
The average age of the injured children was 12; half were aged between 10 and 13. And nearly two thirds (64.5%) were boys.
Most (95%) injuries were sustained by the rider, and 80% of all the incidents involved a private e-scooter.
The most common cause was a fall from the e-scooter (75%), but nearly 11.5% were caused by a collision with a vehicle; 5% were pedestrians hit by an e-scooter.
Over half (52%) of the incidents happened on public land: nearly 1 in 4 (22%) occurred on public roads, and nearly 1 in 3 (30%) on public footpaths/parks.
Injuries to the arms and legs were the most common (36%-40%), but around 1 in 4 (24%) were head injuries and nearly 1 in 5 (18.5%) were facial injuries.
Less than 2% of riders were reported to be wearing a helmet at the time of the incident. And 1 in 10 head injuries were sufficiently severe as to warrant imaging, hospital admission, and in some cases, surgery.
Among the most seriously injured, around half (48%) were the result of a collision with a car or stationary object.
Overall, the level of hospital care required was substantial: nearly two thirds of the injured children (64.5%) required some form of imaging (x-rays, computed tomography, or ultrasound scans); 13.5% were admitted; and 7% required surgery.
Three out of four injured children (74%) lived in areas of greatest social and economic disadvantage.
The researchers acknowledge that their study was based on data from only 3 children’s trauma centres, so the findings might not be more widely applicable. But they suggest that because a change in software limited data collection to 2023-4 at the trauma centre in Manchester, the actual numbers of e-scooter injuries may be higher than reported.
“Clearly, reporting these accidents is important to influence and change policy, but there must also be an onus on retailers to clearly advise customers of the law, and policymakers to regulate private e-scooters, such as with speed limiters, or mandate helmet use,” write the researchers.
“As well as legislative changes, schools, local councils, youth groups and road safety campaigns could all have a role in helping to reduce the burden of this emerging public health challenge. Utilising approaches like educational campaigns, such as bicycle safety schemes targeted to e-scooter riders, could be beneficial and have been shown to improve riders’ safety behaviour,” they suggest.
“We urgently need to increase public and clinician awareness, have clearer public health messaging, and a review of government legislation to prevent further injuries and deaths,” they conclude.
Journal
Emergency Medicine Journal
Method of Research
Observational study
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Paediatric electric-scooter injuries: an emerging public health crisis?
Article Publication Date
11-Aug-2026
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