The prevalence of e-scooters in Canada is on the rise, leading to a surge in injuries, especially among younger individuals, as regulations struggle to keep pace with the trend. Dr. Daniel Rosenfield, a pediatric emergency physician at SickKids Hospital in Toronto and the chair of the injury prevention committee for the Canadian Pediatric Society (CPS), has witnessed a significant increase in various types of injuries resulting from e-scooter accidents, ranging from minor cuts to severe brain trauma and fatalities.
In the past, severe injuries were rare occurrences, but now the medical community is bracing for the impact of e-scooter-related traumas, with a notable increase in cases at hospitals like SickKids and the Montreal Children’s Hospital. At SickKids alone, e-scooter injury cases escalated from 26 in 2023 to 46 in 2024 and 107 in 2025, with projections indicating a further rise this year.
Dr. Laurie Plotnick, who heads the emergency trauma team at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, highlighted a tenfold increase in e-scooter injuries since 2023, particularly severe facial injuries and broken bones among children. A recent survey by the Canadian Pediatric Society revealed alarming statistics, including 10 deaths, 12 ICU admissions, and 26 hospitalizations lasting over two days due to e-scooter accidents, with head injuries prevalent in half of the cases.
Notably, the most severe injuries tended to affect boys aged between 10 and 15 years. The lack of helmet usage was a common factor in these incidents. A study published in the Emergency Medicine Journal showcased a similar trend in the U.K., where e-scooter-related hospital cases surged from under 10 in 2019 to nearly 150 in 2024, with head injuries being prominent and helmet usage at less than two percent.
Real-life accounts, such as the story of Crystal Dunkley’s son Shawn in London, Ontario, underscore the devastating impact of e-scooter accidents. Shawn’s experience, which left him in a coma and with a fractured skull, shed light on the critical need for safety measures like helmet use while riding e-scooters.
The gap between regulations and the realities of e-scooter risks has raised concerns among experts. Dr. Rosenfield emphasized the misconception of e-scooters as toys, highlighting their potential danger, especially to younger riders who may not be fully aware of road rules. The complex and inconsistent regulatory landscape across provinces and territories further complicates the issue, with a lack of clarity and enforcement contributing to the rising injury toll.
Efforts to address these challenges include advocating for public education, clearer safety messaging from manufacturers, and stricter enforcement of existing regulations. While recognizing the benefits of e-scooters in urban settings, experts like Dr. Rosenfield stress the need to prioritize safety measures to ensure the responsible use of these devices for both individuals and the community.