Children as young as nine hurt in growing number of e-scooter crashes
A new review reveals a sharp increase in e-scooter-related injuries among children under 16 in the UK. Medical professionals are calling for stricter regulations, including age limits and safety equipment requirements, to address the rising number of accidents.
Why it matters
The lack of clear legal frameworks for private e-scooters has led to a surge in preventable trauma cases among minors.
Image source, Getty Images By Michelle Roberts Digital health editor Published 14 minutes ago Some hospitals are seeing more and more children with injuries from e-scooters, a new review suggests , external .
Three trauma centres - Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield - say they have treated 477 under-16s, with the overall numbers of cases rising from fewer than 10 in 2019 to nearly 150 in 2024.
The average age of those injured was 12, with the youngest 9. Hardly any were wearing helmets.
The emergency department doctors are calling for laws to better protect children. Currently in the UK, there is no legal age restriction, speed limit or safety equipment requirement for the estimated 1.2m , external people who own private e-scooters.
Image source, PA Media Image caption, Jacob Calland, pictured with his mother Carly Calland, was the passenger when the scooter collided with a BMW car
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