E-scooters are useful and fun but they can also be dangerous, say experts
By Lethbridge Herald on August 29, 2025.
Joe Manio
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The advent of e-scooters has drastically changed micromobility (personal transportation through a range of small, lightweight vehicles). E-scooters have allowed young people who can’t get their drivers licenses to get around quickly without breaking a sweat.Â
This mobility, however, comes at a price.
Alberta has seen a significant increase in e-scooter injuries, with a particularly concerning rise in the number of children and teens injured. Although officially classified as “motor vehicles,” operating e-scooters requires no formal training nor insurance.Â
Scooter riders skirting between sidewalks and streets to avoid pedestrians and traffic is a significant issue, contributing to safety hazards, conflicts with pedestrians, motorists and poor public perception of e-scooters.Â
The high speeds of scooters, combined with a lack of rider experience and awareness, make them particularly dangerous in these mixed-use environments.Â
Such behaviour not only endangers others but also results in injuries and damage, necessitating stricter regulations and better enforcement to ensure safety for all road and sidewalk users.
While specific numbers for e-scooter related emergency room admissions at Chinook Regional Hospital (CRH) in 2024 are not available, it’s known that e-scooter injuries in Alberta, including those resulting in emergency room visits, have been on the rise, with a notable increase in pediatric cases.
“The majority of those, surprisingly, do not involve other vehicles,” says Dr. Eddy Lang, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Calgary’s Cumming School of Medicine. “It’s mainly the scooters with pedestrians or with something in the surroundings.”Â
By the first six months of 2024, 295 riders in Calgary required medical attention, bringing the total number of emergency department and urgent care visits related to scooter injuries since 2022 to 2,235.Â
Between 2022 and 2024, hospitalizations for scooter accidents among children in Alberta increased by 61 per cent.
“We’re seeing people are landing on their ankles, on their wrists, and even on their head,” says Lang.
The most common e-scooter injuries are fractures, particularly wrist fractures, followed by contusions and abrasions affecting the head, face, and upper limbs most frequently. Falls are the leading cause of these injuries, often occurring at higher speeds than traditional bikes, leading to severe injuries like compound fractures and head trauma.
E-scooters accelerate quickly, leading to more severe outcomes from falls and collisions, sometimes requiring surgery. A significant number of riders do not wear helmets, leaving them more vulnerable to head injuries.
While the Alberta Traffic Safety Act defines e-scooters as motor vehicles due to their electric power, the city allows their use on sidewalks, but the classification as motor vehicles still applies, according to Letourneau LLP.
E-scooters in Alberta are speed-capped, with a maximum limit of 20 km/h for most shared rental e-scooters to meet government exemption requirements. This speed limit is often electronically enforced through geofencing, where the scooters automatically slow down or stop operating in certain designated areas.
Most e-scooters sold in Canada and elsewhere have built-in speed governors, and local regulations in places like Alberta, Ontario, and British Columbia establish specific speed and motor power limits.Â
While it is technically possible to remove these speed limiters through hardware or software modifications, doing so may violate local traffic laws and can increase safety risks and legal liabilities for the rider.
Experts are urging riders to exercise caution, wear helmets, be aware of their surroundings, and avoid riding when impaired by substances.
20-19
I’ve seen too many young kids on e-scooters crossing streets without properly checking for traffic, riding with a passenger, riding without a helmet and generally going too fast for the sidewalk route. I’m sure for some it’s the first time on a scooter or at least they have little experience and don’t fully know traffic rules. We should be tracking scooter related injuries to determine how they can be reduced or, the big question, should the rental contract be cancelled. I’m not sure how much money the city gets for the contract but it shouldn’t take priority over safety of its citizens.