As e-scooter use grows, ER doctors say they’re seeing ‘devastating’ injuries

E-scooters come with growing safety concerns, as emergency room physicians warn about the dangers of using e-scooters due to a reported increase in related injuries.

Hitting the streets from Vancouver’s west coast to Nova Scotia’s eastern shores, electric scooters are zooming into Canadian cities, embraced as a convenient and eco-friendly mode of transportation.

However, this newfound popularity comes with growing safety concerns, as emergency room physicians warn about the dangers of using e-scooters due to a reported increase in related injuries.

“As emergency physicians across the country, we’re seeing incredible injuries from e-scooters,” Toronto-based emergency physician Dr. Raghu Venugopal said.

“We’re needing to activate trauma teams, we’re needing different surgical specialists to come in and treat the multiple traumatic injuries. We’re seeing collarbones shattered needing surgery, we’re seeing six to seven rib fractures in healthy people, we’re seeing ankles destroyed, needing surgery. And we’re seeing internal bleeding in the brain.”

Wearing helmets and wrist guards and avoiding speeding are essential for staying safe while riding, Venugopal said. Unfortunately, many people ignore these precautions. He noted that many injured patients ride their e-scooters at high speeds without helmets.

Electric scooters have become a familiar sight in Canadian cities, thanks in part to the surge of scooter-sharing programs. Companies like Bird and Lime have set up shops in major cities like Vancouver, Calgary and Mississauga, Ont., allowing residents to rent these vehicles by the hour.

Bird Canada launched in 2019, and since then has expanded to 25 Canadian cities, a company spokesperson told Global News in an email Wednesday.

“They are a safe, sustainable, and fun way to get from point A to point B without the need for a car,” the spokesperson said.