Emergency department burden of e-scooter injuries in Victoria, Australia: A statewide analysis of injury patterns and prevention implications, 2022-2025.

Abstract

E-scooter use has expanded rapidly in Australia alongside evolving legislation and changes in e-scooter availability. However, the population-level impact on injury burden and emergency care services remains incompletely characterised, particularly in the absence of standardised external cause coding for e-scooter injuries. We conducted a retrospective statewide analysis of emergency department (ED) presentations for e-scooter-related injuries in Victoria, Australia, using the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD). Cases from January 2022 to December 2025 were identified using predefined text-search terms applied to narrative fields, with manual validation. Descriptive analyses examined temporal trends, demographic characteristics, injury patterns, health service use, and seasonal variation. Temporal patterns were interpreted in the context of evolving e-scooter legislation and shared-hire programme changes. A total of 4694 e-scooter-related ED presentations were identified, including 79 pedestrians struck by an e-scooter. Annual presentations increased from 825 in 2022 to 1,373 in 2024 and remained high in 2025 (1358). Riders were predominantly male (71.4%) with a mean age of 31.1 years; however, 15.4% of presentations involved children aged 2-14 years. Falls accounted for 74.1% of injuries, and 67.2% occurred on roads, streets, or highways. Fractures and head-region injuries were common. Overall, 38.0% of patients were admitted to hospital, around one-third arrived by ambulance, and the majority were triaged as urgent or emergency. Presentations demonstrated consistent seasonal peaks during warmer months. Injury volumes increased during a period of expanding e-scooter availability and remained elevated despite subsequent changes to shared-hire programmes. E-scooter-related injuries represent a substantial and sustained burden on emergency departments in Victoria, Australia. The high proportion of admissions, ambulance arrivals, and serious injury types underscores the impact on acute care services. The increasing burden of injuries among children and the predominance of on-road incidents highlight gaps in regulation and enforcement. These findings also demonstrate limitations in injury surveillance, including the absence of standardised coding for emerging modes of transport. Strengthening injury surveillance systems alongside targeted regulatory, infrastructure, and behavioural interventions is critical to reduce harm as micromobility use continues to evolve.