The number of people hospitalised after e-scooter incidents in Australia more than tripled in five years, with teenage boys driving much of the increase, a government report said.
There were 4,089 e-scooter-related hospitalisations in 2024-25, up from 1,291 in 2019-20, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
Hospitalisations among boys aged 12 to 15 after e-scooter falls increased 15-fold over the period. Boys in that age group were four times more likely than girls to be hospitalised after a fall.
Males accounted for two-thirds of people hospitalised in 2024-25, the report found.
Hospitalisation rates also rose among e-bike riders, though the figures were harder to capture because of how the injuries were classified.
E-scooter-related deaths increased from seven in 2014-15 to 20 in 2024-25, while the proportion of deaths remained stable, the report said.
New codes introduced in July will help distinguish injuries involving e-scooters from those involving e-bikes and other e-mobility devices, the AIHW said.
Spokesperson Jacqueline Rek said the improved data would help researchers better understand the risks.
“Meaning these findings should not be interpreted as precise counts of injuries involving e-scooters or e-bikes alone,” Ms Rek said. or e-bikes alone,” Ms Rek said.
