E-scooter injuries plummet following council ban, study finds

City of Perth ban on e-scooters leads to reduction in ED presentations, study finds In short: There has been a significant reduction in e-scooter-related injury presentations to Royal Perth Hospital following the City of Perth's ban on hiring the devices, according to a new study. An emergency doctor says the study has the power to influence positive change in the way e-rideables are regulated in the future. What's next: The state government spokesperson says recommendations stemming from a parliamentary inquiry into e-rideables are underway. There has been a significant reduction in emergency department presentations following the City of Perth's ban on hiring e-scooters, according to a new study. The city suspended the hiring of e-scooters in June last year after a pedestrian died after being struck by one, sparking a parliamentary inquiry. A new study from Western Australia's major trauma centre at Royal Perth Hospital found that in the 12 weeks before the ban, 105 people presented to the hospital's ED with e-scooter-related injuries, with eight of them categorised as "major trauma." In the 12 weeks after the ban, there were just 39 e-scooter injury presentations, with four being categorised as major trauma. "These findings indicate a reduction in ED burden from e-scooter-related injuries, associated with the ban of rideshare e-scooters," the report said. However, it acknowledged limitations in the data, which included distinguishing between hireable and privately owned devices, and the location of the incidents. Australasian College of Emergency Medicine WA branch chair Dr Vanessa Clayden said the study demonstrated a "positive outcome" from reducing access to e-scooters. "I think it's great food for thought in terms what kinds of regulations or limits or controls we could put in place in the future so that we can try and reduce unnecessary or avoidable injury for people using e-rideables," she said. Dr Clayden said people should be aware of the "catastrophic" injuries that can result from e-scooter accidents, with some of those injuries having permanent impacts on a person's life. Laws need to keep pace WA Local Government Association president Mark Irwin said the use of e-rideables was rapidly growing across the state. "While these devices offer affordable, low emission transport options, the current regulatory framework needs to keep pace with their adoption," he said in a statement. A report published by the WA government last year acknowledged e-rideables have "an important place in the future transport landscape", if adequately funded and supported by legislative and policy framework. It noted the mode of transport's environmental, economic and social benefits. In March, the families of two Western Australians killed in e-scooter accidents said they were disappointed the government was not acting sooner to better regulate e-rideables. But a state government spokesperson said it was committed to improving e-rideable safety and regulation. "Local governments are empowered to regulate the use of rentable e-rideables according to best practice for their communities, and the state government is working with them to support safe use of this accessible transport option," the spokesperson said. Nationals MP Peter Rundle led last year's parliamentary inquiry into e-rideables which found there was a lack of available injury data in WA. He said the data in the hospital study could help other local governments amend their policies around e-rideables. "When you see a ban like this that's been put in place, then the result of the ban with the drop in hospital presentations … that is heartening," Mr Rundle said. The state government said implementation of all the recommendations in the report stemming from that inquiry had been supported, or supported in principle, and underway. That includes working towards banning e-rideables from high foot-traffic areas, introducing a new class of higher-powered devices with potentially stricter licensing requirements, and considering penalising retailers who help customers modify devices. In Victoria, e-scooters are no longer available for hire in the City of Melbourne, with a ban enacted after safety concerns.