As electric scooters gain popularity nationwide in Canada, healthcare professionals are raising concerns about the increasing number of injuries, especially among younger individuals, as regulations struggle to keep up. 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 observed a significant surge in various types of injuries resulting from e-scooter accidents, ranging from minor cuts to severe brain injuries and fatalities.
Previously rare, serious injuries are now a common occurrence, with the number of e-scooter injury cases at SickKids escalating from 26 in 2023 to 46 in 2024 and 107 in 2025, indicating a worrying trend. Dr. Rosenfield anticipates that the current year will surpass these figures.
At the Montreal Children’s Hospital, Dr. Laurie Plotnick, leading the hospital’s emergency trauma team, reports a tenfold increase in e-scooter injuries since 2023. Injuries sustained by children not involving other motor vehicles include severe facial trauma, broken jaws, fractures around the eyes, and critical brain injuries.
A recent survey conducted by the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS) highlighted the concerning impact of e-scooter accidents, documenting 10 fatalities, 12 intensive care unit (ICU) admissions, and 26 hospitalizations lasting over two days due to e-scooter crashes. Head injuries were prevalent in approximately half of the cases, with the majority of individuals not wearing helmets.
Most severely injured individuals were boys aged between 10 and 15 years old. A separate study published in the Emergency Medicine Journal revealed a similar trend based on hospital data from three U.K. hospitals, showing a substantial rise in e-scooter cases from under 10 in 2019 to nearly 150 in 2024, with head injuries being prevalent and helmet usage scarce.
Personal accounts from Canadian families echo these findings. Crystal Dunkley shared the harrowing experience of her son Shawn, who sustained a skull fracture after a high-speed e-scooter collision, emphasizing the importance of helmet use. The lack of awareness of regulations, inadequate road safety knowledge among younger individuals, and unclear laws contribute to the growing number of e-scooter-related injuries.
Efforts to address the issue include calls for enhanced public education, clearer regulations, and stricter enforcement to promote safety while recognizing the benefits of e-scooters in urban settings. Dr. Rosenfield emphasizes the need to strike a balance between utilizing e-scooters as a sustainable transportation option and ensuring the safety of riders through effective measures.