Put safety first on your e-scooter
If Santa delivered you an electric scooter at Christmas, make sure you’re well versed in the road rules before taking it for a spin.
The State Government has introduced a range of new rules and fines, cracking down on riders breaking the law.
RACQ Principal Technical Researcher Andrew Kirk said while it was great to see more people using the devices as a mode of transport, they needed to remember if they had been drinking alcohol, e-scooters were not the way to get around.
“RACQ research found far too many people aren’t taking safety on e-scooters seriously with 27% of e-scooter users surveyed admitted to riding under the influence of alcohol,” Mr Kirk said.
“It’s reckless, illegal, and dangerous. Not only could you lose your licence, seriously injure, or kill yourself, but you also risk injuring others.
“We want people to remember that it’s not a good idea to jump on an e-scooter if they’ve been drinking and if you’ve received one for Christmas, make sure you know the road rules before you take it for a ride.”
Which e-scooter is right for you
Metro North Health’s Jamieson Trauma Institute researcher and Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Emergency Department Doctor Gary Mitchell said alcohol played a major role in e-scooter presentations to the emergency department (ED).
“At RBWH we’re seeing anywhere from 40 to 60 e-scooter presentations a month,” Dr Mitchell said.
“These are people with significant injuries who are ending up in a tertiary trauma centre.
“We’ve gathered data from more than 950 e-scooter presentations and found about 30% of those presentations had alcohol in their system, which we believe is an underestimate.
“We’ve also found people were three times more likely to be admitted to hospital if they have consumed alcohol and they’re more likely to have a severe injury which is why we’re urging people not to get on a scooter if they’ve been drinking.”
In August, RACQ and the RBWH Foundation donated a combined $200,000 to the Jamieson Trauma Institute to fund research into e-scooter injuries. The results will be used to shape policy and improve user safety.
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