Why E-Scooter Injuries in Kids Spike Every Summer, and How to Keep Yours Out of the ER

An e-scooter looks like a toy with a battery in it, and that impression is most of the problem. Pediatric emergency doctors across Canada say the children arriving in their departments this summer are not turning up with scraped knees. The rise in e-scooter injuries in kids was steep enough that two of them went on the record this week to ask parents to think again before handing over the handlebars.

The bottom line

Hospitalizations from e-scooter injuries rose 22 percent across Canada last year, and the injuries doctors see in children are serious ones, including fractures, skull fractures, concussions and damage to abdominal organs. The reason is a mismatch. These machines were built for adult bodies and reach 20 to 30 kilometres an hour from a standing start. If your child is under your province's legal riding age, a bike or a push scooter is the safer answer. If your teen rides legally, a properly fitted helmet is the single most valuable thing you can insist on.

Key takeaways

Hospitalisations from e-scooter injuries climbed 22 per cent nationally last year, according to Canadian Institute for Health Information data.

Between 2024 and 2025, CIHI recorded 241 injuries among children aged five to 17 and 18 among children aged four and under, with more than 1,000 Canadians of all ages hospitalised.

Dr. April Kam, pediatric emergency medicine division head at McMaster Children's Hospital, says volumes run highest from now through September and the share of injured children not wearing helmets is rising.

Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador set no minimum riding age at all. Ontario, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan set it at 16.

A July 2025 Canadian Automobile Association study found crashes cluster in dense areas and on sidewalks, with falls driving most injuries to the face, neck, arms and torso.

How serious are the injuries turning up in pediatric emergency departments?

Serious enough that the doctors treating them decided to say so publicly. Dr. April Kam, who heads pediatric emergency medicine at McMaster Children's Hospital in Hamilton, told Global News that most of what her team sees is not scrapes and bruises. She listed fractures, skull fractures, concussions, and abdominal injuries including damage to the kidneys and liver.

The national picture backs her up. Hospitalization means a child was admitted rather than treated and sent home, so it is a reasonable measure of severity, and those hospitalizations rose 22 percent last year on the Canadian Institute for Health Information's own reporting on e-scooter trauma. Between 2024 and 2025, the agency counted 241 injuries in children aged five to 17, plus 18 in children aged four and under, with more than 1,000 Canadians hospitalized in total. Kam also noted that the proportion of injured children arriving without a helmet keeps growing.

The timing is not random either. A 2022 analysis of motorized scooter injuries using national hospital surveillance data found that incidents peak in the summer months, which matches what Kam is seeing right now. If you have ever noticed that health emergencies cluster around certain times of year, this is the summer version of the same pattern.

Why does e-scooter safety for children come down to body size?

Because a child's body is not simply a smaller version of an adult's. Dr. Sheena Belisle, an assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at Western University's Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, said the heart of the e-scooter safety for children problem is that many children cannot see over the top of the handlebars and do not yet have the coordination to control the machine underneath them.

Speed makes that worse. Belisle notes that an e-scooter can go from a standstill to 20 or 30 kilometres an hour very quickly, which leaves a small body almost no margin to correct a wobble and no time at all to react to a curb or a car door. The CAA study found that most injuries come from simple falls rather than collisions, and that they land on the face, neck, arms and torso, which is what you would expect when a rider goes over the front of a machine they cannot steer.

There is a second cost that gets missed in the tally of e-scooter injuries in kids. Both doctors pointed out that an e-scooter replaces the physical activity a child would otherwise get from a bike, a push scooter or rollerblades. A child who rides one regularly takes on the injury risk and gives up the exercise at the same time.

What are the e-scooter age restrictions in Canada where you live?

They vary a great deal, and that patchwork is doing real damage. There is no national rule, so the e-scooter age restrictions in Canada depend on your province, and in some cases on your city as well.

Municipal bylaws can be stricter than the province. In London, Ontario, riding is illegal for anyone 15 or younger; riders aged 16 and 17 must wear a helmet, and sidewalk riding is banned outright. Check your own city's personal electric vehicle rules before your teen takes a rental out, because the rental app will not do it for you.

Do e-scooter helmet laws apply to your teen?

In some provinces, yes. E-scooter helmet laws currently require helmets for all riders in British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan. Everywhere else the requirement is partial, tied to age, or left to the municipality.

Treat the legal minimum as the floor rather than the standard. Head injuries are among the most serious outcomes the doctors are reporting, a helmet is the only piece of equipment that meaningfully changes that outcome, and it costs less than a tank of fuel. The CAA study concluded that regulations governing e-bikes and e-scooters are not well developed in Canada, which leaves the decision with parents by default.

Access is the other half of it. Rental apps and shared scooters parked on street corners mean a child no longer needs to own one to ride one. Belisle warned that as access widens to children whose families do not own a scooter, injury numbers are likely to climb further.

What should you watch for after a fall if you suspect a head injury?

Most spills produce nothing worse than a bruised palm and a bruised ego. The reason to pay attention anyway is that a head injury can look mild in the first hour and show itself later, particularly in a child who cannot yet describe how they feel.

Signs that warrant same-day medical assessment include losing consciousness even briefly, repeated vomiting, worsening headache, confusion or difficulty waking, unequal pupils, clear fluid or blood from the nose or ears, a seizure, weakness or numbness in an arm or leg, or a child who is unusually drowsy or simply not themselves. Any of those means the emergency department rather than a wait-and-see evening. Call 911 for a seizure, unconsciousness, or a neck or back injury.

For everything short of that, meaning a sore wrist, a limp, or a graze that will not stop bleeding, knowing whether to use urgent care or the ER saves hours. The same triage logic applies to the seasonal injuries that catch families out in winter, just with better weather.

When to call 911

Loss of consciousness, a seizure, a suspected neck or spine injury, severe bleeding, or a child who cannot be roused. Do not move a child with a suspected neck injury unless they are in immediate danger where they are.

Your next step:

1. Check your province and your city. The provincial minimum age is the start, not the end. Municipal bylaws on sidewalks, helmets and age often go further.

2. Hold the line under 16. If your province sets no minimum, both doctors quoted here treat 16 as the sensible one. A bike or push scooter delivers the fun and the exercise without the speed.

3. Make the helmet non-negotiable. Fitted level on the forehead, straps forming a V under the ears, one finger of room under the chin strap. A helmet in a backpack protects nothing.

4. Set the rules before the first ride, not after. No sidewalks where they are banned, no passengers, no phone in hand, daylight only.

5. Get anything worrying looked at the same day. Wrist and elbow fractures are easy to underestimate in children, and head injuries can show themselves hours later.

Kam suggested that clearer legislation, fines and school-based education could all help. Until any of that arrives, the conversation starts at home. If your summer plans involve travel, it is worth glancing at the health risks Canadians run into away from home too, since scooter rules change the moment you cross a border.

Frequently asked questions

How common are e-scooter injuries in children in Canada?

Between 2024 and 2025 the Canadian Institute for Health Information recorded 241 e-scooter injuries among children aged five to 17 and 18 among children aged four and under. More than 1,000 Canadians of all ages were hospitalised that year, and hospitalisations rose 22 per cent nationally, which is why e-scooter injuries in kids are now a stated concern for pediatric emergency doctors.

What kinds of injuries do e-scooters cause in children?

Pediatric emergency doctors report fractures, skull fractures, concussions and abdominal injuries including kidney and liver damage. A July 2025 Canadian Automobile Association study found most injuries come from falls rather than collisions and affect the face, neck, arms and torso. Crashes happen most often in densely populated areas and on sidewalks.

What age can a child legally ride an e-scooter in Canada?

It depends on the province. Ontario, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan set the minimum at 16. Nova Scotia and Quebec set it at 14. Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador have no age restriction. Municipalities can be stricter, so check your city's bylaw as well.

Are helmets legally required for e-scooter riders?

British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan require helmets for all e-scooter riders. Other provinces apply them partially or by age, and some cities add their own rules. Doctors advise a properly fitted helmet regardless of what the law requires, since head injuries are among the most serious outcomes.

Is a push scooter or a bike safer than an e-scooter for a child?

Generally yes, for two reasons. Neither accelerates a child to 20 or 30 kilometres an hour in seconds, and both require the child to power the machine, which preserves the physical activity an e-scooter removes. Doctors quoted in the reporting recommend them as the default for children under the legal riding age.

When should a child be seen after an e-scooter fall?

Seek same-day assessment for any loss of consciousness, repeated vomiting, worsening headache, confusion, unusual drowsiness, weakness or numbness, or fluid from the nose or ears. Call 911 for a seizure, unconsciousness, or a suspected neck or spine injury. For sprains, grazes and possible minor fractures, a walk-in clinic or urgent care is usually enough.

Where to get a spill checked out quickly

If your child does come off this summer and it needs a look rather than an ambulance, you can compare wait times and book a walk-in or urgent care clinic near you on Medimap, and you can browse the Medimap Health Hub for plain-language guides on injuries, seasonal risks and knowing which door to use.

Disclaimer. This article is general information, not medical advice, and Medimap is not a doctor. It does not diagnose any condition and does not recommend or adjust any treatment. Speak to a licensed health professional about your child's own situation. For a medical emergency, call 911.