Regulations for e-scooters vary depending on the province. Ontario requires riders to be at least 16 years old and mandates helmets for those under 18, while the minimum age in Quebec is 14 and helmets are mandatory for everyone.MARTIN BUREAU
As summer kicks into high gear, hospitals across Canada are reporting a rise in e-scooter injuries – many involving children too young to legally ride – as emergency departments raise urgent concerns about enforcement, public awareness and parental supervision.
The hospitals report a consistent pattern: Young riders are showing up with serious injuries, often despite age restrictions and helmet laws meant to keep them safe.
“These are not minor scrapes,” said pediatric emergency physician Daniel Rosenfield of Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. “We’re talking about kids who need our full trauma team – severe head injuries, intra-abdominal trauma requiring surgery, hospital admission and even ICU care.
“These are very, very sick kids,” he said.
Regulations vary depending on the province. For example, Ontario requires riders to be at least 16 years old and mandates helmets for those under 18. In Quebec, the minimum age is 14 and helmets are mandatory for everyone.
Debbie Friedman, trauma director at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, part of the McGill University Health Centre, said more than half of e-scooter-related injuries they’re treating involve children who are too young to legally ride.
“Since the beginning of April alone, we’ve already had 30 cases of e-scooter injuries involving children under 14,” Dr. Friedman said. “What’s more alarming is that 52 per cent of all e-scooter injuries we’re seeing involve riders below the legal age. All of last year, we had 34 cases. The numbers are rising quickly – and the injuries are quite severe,” she said.
She described a troubling pattern of serious harm, including traumatic brain injuries, facial and dental trauma, fractures, lacerations and sprains.
“These can be life-threatening,” she warned.
In Toronto, Dr. Rosenfield and his colleague Suzanne Beno, also a pediatric emergency physician, say they are seeing a growing number of e-scooter injuries – particularly among underage riders.
“The average age of kids we’ve seen coming to the hospital for e-scooter injuries is between 11 and 12 years old. Ninety per cent of the injured are boys,” Dr. Rosenfield said.
“Roughly, we also see a small spike in injuries among much younger children – typically aged 3 to 7 – and those are almost always passengers riding with parents, which we strongly advise against,” he said.
“While we understand that for some families e-scooters are a key mode of transportation, they’re not a safe option for young children.”
Hospital data show a sharp year-over-year rise in e-scooter injuries. “In 2020, we saw one e-scooter injury,” Dr. Rosenfield said. “By 2024, that number jumped to 46. In May of this year alone, we saw 16 cases. That’s more than triple the total number of e-scooter injuries we had in all Mays combined over the past four years.”
Dr. Beno said most children they see reporting injuries from e-scooters aren’t wearing helmets.
She said collisions with motor vehicles is definitely the most dangerous aspect, but in all situations, these scooters require a certain level of skill and balance.
“Just losing control at speed can lead to significant injury,” she said.
Laws and regulations may vary from city to city, but the safety principles of riding responsibly and wearing protective equipment remain the same, a paramedic public-information officer for B.C.’s emergency health services says.Jeff McIntosh/The Globe and Mail
At the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, emergency physician Jason Emsley said the rise in e-scooter injuries involves a number of age groups.
“We certainly are seeing it – and it seems to be a national trend,” Dr. Emsley said. “We see regular scooter injuries, but we’re seeing more e-scooter injuries, especially among younger teenagers and adolescents. I’m also seeing it in young adults in my work in adult emergency medicine.”
In Ottawa, the city has extended its e-scooter pilot program through 2029 and introduced changes to the 2025 season, which runs from May 15 to Nov. 15. Scooters are now available around the clock in most areas, but the city has banned late-night riding in the popular ByWard Market between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. to curb disturbances.
At the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa, pediatric emergency physician Melanie Bechard says summer is the season for injuries at CHEO, including those involving e-scooters, bicycles and ATVs. “These types of incidents tend to increase significantly once the warmer weather sets in,” she noted.
In British Columbia, the trend has caught the attention of first responders.
“We’re definitely seeing an increase in e-scooter incidents,” said Brian Twaites, a paramedic public-information officer for B.C.’s emergency health services.
Mr. Twaites noted that the warmer weather has brought more people onto the roads, leading to a rise in injuries. “We’re seeing more injuries to the head, arms and legs,” he said. “Protective gear is essential – helmets, wrist guards and visible, reflective riding gear can make a big difference.”
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He said laws and regulations may vary from city to city, but safety principles remain the same: ride responsibly and wear protective equipment. “Those e-scooters move fast, and users have very little protection in a crash,” he added.
“Motorists, cyclists and pedestrians also need to be aware that e-scooters are on the road,” Mr. Twaites said. The responsibility doesn’t fall solely on the rider − everyone sharing the road has a role to play in keeping it safe, he said.
In Quebec, provincial regulations require a helmet, limits to speeds of 25 kilometres an hour and restrictions of e-scooters to a power output of 500 watts and a maximum weight of 36 kilograms.
But, according to Dr. Friedman, enforcement is falling short.
“We’re seeing children at risk because rules are not being followed,” Dr. Friedman said.
She said there’s a need for greater supervision by parents, stronger enforcement and public awareness.
While she acknowledges that e-scooters can support physical, social, and psychological well-being, Dr. Friedman stresses that they are not appropriate for every child or environment.
“The right age, proper roads and good judgment all matter. Parents, schools, municipalities – everyone has a role to play,” she said.