Following these safety tips while riding an e-scooter will help you avoid accidents and injuries while enjoying your ride

With the rapid rise in the popularity of electric scooters (e-scooters) across Canada, safety concerns are also rising. As more people turn to e-scooters as a quick and eco-friendly way to get around, experts are urging riders to stay informed and take precautions to avoid injury.

E-scooters have become a common sight in cities across the country, with thousands of Canadians opting for this convenient mode of transportation. However, the increase in ridership has also led to a surge in injuries, with emergency rooms across Canada reporting significant spikes in e-scooter-related incidents. These injuries range from minor scrapes to more serious cases involving head trauma and broken bones.

Kathy Belton

Kathy Belton

Brian Rowe

Brian Rowe

Stay safe while riding an e-scooter in Canada with these crucial tips from safety experts

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Kathy Belton, director of the University of Albarta’s Injury Prevention Centre and adjunct professor in the School of Public Health. and Brian Rowe, director of the Emergency Medicine Research Group (EMeRG) in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. have been studying e-scooter use and the rise in injuries. “The number of e-scooters has gone up significantly since they were first introduced in 2017, and I only see that getting larger because especially young people are going to look for easier ways to get around,” says Belton.

“The problem is there are no consistent safety rules, and the ones that do exist are not enforced,” Belton says. “It’s like the Wild West.”

Belton and Rowe teamed up to study e-scooter usage and injuries over three summers in Edmonton, examining more than 2,000 trips and hundreds of emergency department visits. They found that while many injuries involved limbs, a concerning percentage were head injuries, often made worse by the lack of helmet use. Only two percent of riders reported wearing helmets at the time of their accidents.

Belton and Rowe offer several key tips to ensure safer e-scooter use:

  1. Always wear a helmet: Helmets are crucial for protecting against head injuries. Despite being optional in many areas, wearing a helmet can significantly reduce the severity of injuries in the event of a crash.
  2. Follow local laws: Different cities have different rules about where e-scooters can be ridden. Know the rules in your area, whether it’s using bike lanes or avoiding sidewalks.
  3. Plan your route: Stick to bike lanes or paths whenever possible. Avoid busy roads with heavy traffic where cars are the greatest danger to e-scooter riders.
  4. Don’t ride impaired: Just like with cars, riding an e-scooter while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is dangerous and illegal. Stay sober while riding.
  5. One rider at a time: E-scooters are designed for single riders only. Carrying passengers, especially children, increases the risk of serious injury.
  6. Let others know you’re coming: When riding on shared paths, let pedestrians and cyclists know you’re coming by using your bell or voice. Follow basic hand signals to indicate turns or stops.

Rowe emphasizes that while e-scooters are a fun and convenient way to get around, they come with risks that can be minimized by following these simple safety guidelines. “The injuries we see are preventable,” he says. “Taking a few precautions can make a huge difference.”

As the popularity of e-scooters continues to grow, experts like Belton and Rowe are advocating for more consistent regulations to keep riders safe. Rowe is part of a team seeking national funding to study the safety of electric micromobility vehicles, including e-scooters, with the goal of reducing injuries and the burden on the healthcare system.

“Living in Canada, we expect that the products we have available to us are safe, but that is only true if they’re used properly. Most of these injuries are what we would call small, but they are preventable and they’re using up valuable healthcare resources that others need.”

By staying informed and riding responsibly, Canadians can enjoy the benefits of e-scooters while reducing the risk of injury.

| Staff

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