E-scooter injuries are on the rise in Alberta and doctors warn they can have serious consequences.
According to statistics provided by Alberta Health Services, the number of ER and urgent care visits for e-scooter-related injuries, province-wide, jumped by 21 per cent last year.
“When you’re losing your balance and flying off of that e-scooter, you’re almost like a human projectile,” said Dr. Eddy Lang, professor of emergency medicine in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary.
“What we’re seeing is people are landing on their ankles, on their wrists, and even on their head.”
In 2022, there were 1,860 e-scooter injuries, including 337 among children and teens. By 2023, that number had increased to 2,245, including 458 children under the age of 18.
Between January and June of this year, 719 injuries were reported. The tally includes 205 pediatric cases. Numbers for the summer months, when e-scooter use surges, are not yet available for 2024.
The worst cases require surgery or even stays in intensive care, said Lang, noting head injuries can be severe.
“It’s rare, but a couple of times a summer someone will really get a bad, traumatic brain injury and go into the emergency department and, ultimately, even require surgery or intensive care,” he said.
“Even without that, concussions can be quite serious and result in months of dysfunction, sleep deprivation, difficulty concentrating … If that can be avoided it really should.”
The call for caution comes as concerns grow across the country about an increase in serious e-scooter injuries, particularly among children.
Kids used as ‘airbags’
The AHS numbers reveal 1,000 children and teens have been hurt in e-scooter incidents since the start of 2022.
And while Calgary and Edmonton, for example, do not allow people under 18 to ride shared e-scooters, Lang said he’s seeing this trend first-hand.
“We are certainly seeing young people — especially adolescents — with injuries. I had a case of an ankle injury that had to be operated on the other day,” he said.
“We’re also seeing the very reckless pattern of double-scooting — meaning that there’s an adult with a child on a scooter — and that is a very potentially dangerous situation.”
Kathy Belton is also worried about the surge in injuries.
“As e-scooters get to be more popular we’re seeing more and more people on them and some of the behaviours that we’re seeing on them are risky, such as no helmets,” said Belton, director of the University of Alberta’s Injury Prevention Centre.
She shares Lang’s concern about children.
Her team is conducting an observational study of e-scooter habits in Edmonton and, according to Belton, the most dangerous practice researchers have documented so far is parents double-riding with their kids.
“Parents are, for all intents and purposes, using their young children as airbags. So if the scooter stops suddenly, the adults are going to crush the child,” said Belton.
The City of Calgary website states anyone caught riding with a child as a passenger can receive a $75 fine.
In Alberta, e-scooter rules vary depending on where you live and whether you’re riding a shared or a privately-owned device.
Private e-scooters are not permitted on sidewalks or roadways, according to the province.
Shared e-scooter companies, on the other hand, are allowed to operate where cities deem appropriate under a Traffic Safety Act exemption.
The AHS data does not indicate how many injuries were sustained on shared e-scooters versus personal devices.
“The City of Calgary prioritizes safety in its shared micro-mobility programs and strongly encourages helmet use for all e-scooter riders,” a city spokesperson said in a statement emailed to CBC News.
“Safety measures were a key factor when issuing Calgary’s first five-year operation permits to vendors in 2021.”
In Edmonton, helmets are also recommended, but not required.
“There are no current provisions through the Traffic Safety Act for electric scooter users,” the City of Edmonton’s website states.
“The City of Edmonton strongly recommends wearing a helmet when riding any active mode of transportation, including e-scooters.”
Safety a top priority, companies say
Neuron, one of the companies operating in a number of Alberta cities, provides helmets on all of its scooters.
“Neuron’s e-scooters have been embraced by riders in Calgary, with over three million [kilometres] travelled since launching in 2021. Feedback has been extremely positive and the vast majority of people ride responsibly and safely,” a statement from Isaac Ransom, head of corporate affairs for Neuron Mobility Canada, reads in part.
The company encourages helmet use and offers incentives to customers who use them.
“Our e-scooters also have voice guidance to educate riders and deliver reminders to wear helmets, as well as instructions for safe riding and parking,” he said, adding the company regularly runs online and in-person safety programs.
The company said other safety features include geofencing controls (which allow cities to enforce slow-zones and no-go zones), 911 emergency buttons and voice guidance.
Lime, which operates in Edmonton, contends its ridership numbers have grown at a higher rate than the growth in injuries. It works with cities to control speed and create slow or no-go zones.
“Safety comes first and always will at Lime. We know safe riding and proper parking are the two foundational aspects of successful micro-mobility programs so we spend lots of time and energy on it, ” a company spokesperson said in an email.
“We communicate with our riders constantly, making sure they know the rules of the road and how to follow them. We advocate for protected bike lanes … And we design and build our vehicles in-house with safety in mind.”
Company says injury rates dropped
Bird Canada, which operates in eight different municipalities in Alberta, said it continues to work on improving safety and has a number of safety features in place, including speed limits, audio alerts, and app-based rider training.
According to the company, its injury report rates dropped last year.
“Since 2022, Bird Canada has completed close to two million e-scooter trips in Calgary. There have been 47 reported injuries to Bird Canada from Jan. 1, 2022, through today, ” said spokesperson Austin Spademan.
For his part, Lang would like to see helmets mandated. He’s urging people to plan ahead.
“Some of these devices can reach significant speeds and, as you can imagine, you don’t have the same safety precautions that you would if you were in a vehicle,” he said.
“You need to make sure that when you’re taking that scooter, you’ve taken all the measures and you’ve thought through the potential injuries that might occur if you’re not careful.”
AHS has a number of recommendations for anyone planning to use an e-scooter:
- Always wear a helmet.
- Drive in control and practice your riding skills in a safe environment.
- Use a bell, horn or your voice when approaching or passing others.
- Single riders only.
- Use standard cycling hand signals.
- Do not use an e-scooter when under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.
- Check and follow all local e-scooter or micro-mobility guidelines.