‘Glaring Inconsistencies’: Concern About Data on E-Scooter Injuries, Deaths

Three young people ride e scooters towards China town in Melbourne, Australia, on Oct. 28, 2023. Susan Mortimer/The Epoch Times

Australia’s e-scooter deaths and injuries are slipping under the radar due to inconsistent data collection, a major motoring group has warned.

The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) raised concerns that national figures do not identify e-scooter deaths and injuries, despite the fact there are tens of thousands of e-scooters on Australian roads.

The issue is arising due to “glaring inconsistencies” in data collection and reporting between the states and territories.

National road toll figures that are provided monthly by the federal government’s Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics do not reflect these tragedies, the motoring group said.

“Analysis by the nation’s peak motoring body shows people killed riding e-scooters in Victoria and NSW are recorded by BITRE as motorcyclists, while WA and the ACT report them as ‘other.’ Queensland e-scooter rider deaths are recorded as drivers or passengers,” AAA said.

“The AAA is very concerned that national figures on road fatalities are now becoming less reliable as e-scooter deaths begin to skew the little data that Australia does report nationally.”

AAA managing director Michael Bradley called for the federal government to “lift its game” on e-scooter data collection to help safety experts and users understand safety issues.

He said doctors and medical groups are concerned about how often e-scooter riders appear in hospital and emergency rooms.

“The AAA wants governments to record and report relevant data consistently so that emerging safety issues can be identified and properly managed,” Mr. Bradley said.

The Epoch Times has contacted the federal government for comment.

Spate of Recent E-Scooter Deaths

In Townsville, Queensland, a 35-year-old man suffered serious head injuries in an e-scooter accident before dying in January.

The Queensland police force’s Ethical Standards Command is now investigating the incident, which has been labelled as a death in police operations.

Also in January, a man died after an e-scooter crash in the Brisbane city of Highgate Hill. A 27-year-old rider died from head injuries after being taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in a critical condition.

In December, a 73-year-old died in hospital following an e-scooter incident in Melbourne. The rider, who was not wearing a helmet, died in hospital after he lost control of the scooter and fell to the ground.

The AAA is concerned the federal data does not include cause of crashes, condition of roads or impact of police traffic enforcement because “states do not share this information.”

Mr. Bradley is suggesting the federal government link road grand funding to mandatory data reporting from the states to address this issue.

“This data should be in the public arena so it can be used to create more effective road safety policies,” he said.

“The AAA calls on the federal government to incentivise states to end this secrecy by linking its $10 billion a year on road grants to states to a new mandatory data reporting requirement.”

The AAA’s Benchmarking the Performance of the National Road Safety Strategy (pdf), released on Jan. 29, notes that 1,266 people died on Australian roads in 2023, 7.7 percent higher than the previous year. The second half of the year was the deadliest in 13.5 years.

‘Considerable Number of Injuries’: Royal Melbourne Hospital

A recently released study by the Royal Melbourne Hospital has found electric scooter usage is associated with a “considerable number of injuries.”

Between January 2022 to January 2023, 256 electric scooter injuries presented to Royal Melbourne Hospital, including 247 riders and nine pedestrians. Alcohol use was a factor in 34 percent of these incidents.

Out of these patients, nearly 69 percent were men and 31 percent were women. The median age of these patients was 29.5 years of age.

The research paper noted that injuries rose after Melbourne’s e-scooter rental scheme was introduced in February 2022.

The cost of treating these injuries, only considering emergency presentation and initial inpatient admission, added up to more than $1.9 million (US$1.3 million).

“The direct economic impact of e-scooter injuries is substantial. Emergency care and hospitalisation costs are the most direct financial impacts, as victims may require immediate medical attention, hospital admission or operations for management,” the authors noted.

A selection of e-scooters available for hire can be seen on the corner of a street in Albany, Western Australia, on Aug. 8, 2023. Susan Mortimer/The Epoch Times

The study noted the Victorian government receives no funding from e-scooter companies to leave their scooters in Melbourne.

“We propose an additional levy imposed on e-scooter companies to recuperate some of these costs,” the authors said.

“The information presented here provides crucial data to policymakers when considering the future presence of e-scooters in Melbourne and the safety of riders.”

In October, the Victorian government extended its e-scooter trial by a third time to collect more data before making a decision on the future.

Victorian Public Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams said the government is taking a “considered and evidence-based” approach to e-scooters in Victoria to make sure they get it right.