A crackdown on e-scooter offences has led to almost 800 fines being issued by Queensland state authorities since November.
Nearly 400 riders have been caught without a helmet, while 161 were nabbed on prohibited roads and 52 while exceeding the speed limit.
Almost 50 operators have been fined for illegally carrying a passenger and 23 have been accused of failing to stop at a red light.
Queensland cut footpath speed limits for e-scooters and increased fines for some offences to more than $1,000 (US$688) in a suite of changes on Nov. 1, targeting reckless users.
Under the rules, the maximum speed for e-scooters and other mobility devices like e-skateboards were slashed to 12 kilometres per hour (7.4 miles per h) on shared paths, with people caught breaking the limit to be hit with a minimum $143 fine.
A speed limit of 25 kilometres per hour remains on infrastructure like bike paths and local streets.
Warning bells are now mandatory for all devices and penalties can extend to a $1078 fine for anyone caught using a mobile phone while riding.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey said at the time the government made no apologies for cracking down.
“We want every person who uses our footpaths, bikeways and bike lanes to be safe from harm, and these reforms go a long way in tightening the Queensland road rules around this new technology,” Bailey said.
Riders caught drinking face fines of $431, while they can be penalised $143 for not wearing a helmet or “doubling”.
Transport researchers warned earlier this month that a “patchwork” of conflicting laws governing electric scooter use across Australia was putting riders and pedestrians at risk.
Over the new year period, a serious e-scooter incident left a NSW man in an induced coma and two teenaged Queensland riders suffered “critical injuries” following an accident involving a car.
A recent e-scooter trial in Melbourne also revealed more than 250 crashes over the course of a year.
