More than two people a week are hospitalised as a result of e-bike and e-scooter accidents on the Sunshine Coast.
Last year, 123 patients were admitted to Sunshine Coast University Hospital for e-scooter and e-bike related injuries, some of them life-threatening and/or life-changing.
The young and male appear to be at most risk of hospitalisation from e-accidents, and more e-scooter riders (95) than e-bike riders (28) are ending up in the emergency department.
Of those hurt in e-scooter incidents, 65 were male and 30 were female. Of the e-bike patients, 24 were male and four were female.
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Fifty-five per cent of the e-scooter patients were under 21 years old, with the largest cohort being males aged between 12 and 18.
Sunshine Coast Health Trauma Service clinical nurse consultant Esther Bentley said e-transport injuries could be of varying severity.
“The most severe injuries we typically see involve the head and include brain bleeds and fractures to the skull and face,” she said.
“These types of injuries can be life-changing, if not life-threatening, and can sometimes require urgent surgery. They often cause lasting impacts for both the patient and their loved ones.
“Chest injuries involving rib fractures or collapsed lungs are another common severe injury we see, especially if a rider was injured in a collision with a vehicle.
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“We also see spinal fractures and damage to internal organs.
“Some patients present with more minor injuries, such as concussions, which can still have ongoing implications for recovery.”
A Queensland Health spokesperson said that while fun and convenient, e-transport devices came with risks, especially for children.
“Make sure children have the required and appropriate safety gear and are supervised. It only takes a moment for an accident to happen but the impact can last a lifetime,” they said.
The spokesperson pointed out that under Queensland’s rules for personal mobility devices, e-scooter and e-bike riders should not use a mobile phone while riding, should use a light and wear a high-visibility jacket at night, should obeying speed limits and road rules, and should respect age limits for their safe use
In Queensland, e-scooter or e-bike riders must either be over 16 or be accompanied by an adult if they are aged 12 to 16. Children under 12 are not permitted to ride them.
Riders of personal mobility devices (PMDs) – which also include e-skateboards, e-unicycles and e-boards – must keep left and give way to pedestrians.
Footpaths and shared paths have a 12km/h limit while separated paths and bike paths have a 25km/h limit.
The speed limit for PMDs in bike lanes on roads that are 50km/h or less, bike lanes that are separated from the road, or roads that are 50km/h or less is 25km/h.
A Sunshine Beach father was fined last year over his teenage sons’ use of e-bikes.
