Hospitals across Canada are seeing a growing wave of severe injuries among children and teens involving electric scooters, with clinicians and injury‑prevention experts warning that current rules and marketing fail to reflect the risks posed by these fast‑accelerating devices.
Escalating injuries at major children’s hospitals
Pediatric emergency specialists report an increase in both the number and severity of e‑scooter traumas. At Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), cases rose from 26 in 2023 to 46 in 2024, and to 107 in 2025, with clinicians expecting this year’s tally to be higher still.
| Year | Reported e‑scooter cases at SickKids |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 26 |
| 2024 | 46 |
| 2025 | 107 |
Emergency teams at the Montreal Children’s Hospital report a similar surge: e‑scooter injuries have increased by a factor of 10 since 2023, with clinicians treating serious facial fractures, broken bones around the eyes, and catastrophic brain injuries in children who were not struck by other motor vehicles.
What clinicians are seeing
Pediatricians and trauma physicians say the spectrum of harm spans from minor abrasions to life‑threatening head injuries and deaths. Cases reported include skull fractures, severe facial trauma, and admissions to intensive care units. Doctors emphasise that many riders present without protective gear and that some devices marketed as toys can reach high speeds and accelerate rapidly.
"Anytime we get a call from EMS that says, 'E‑scooter trauma inbound,' we're prepared for severe injuries,"
The remark came from the chair of the Canadian Paediatric Society’s injury prevention committee, drawing attention to what he described as an "exponential rise" in e‑scooter related harm.
Regulatory and prevention gaps
Experts warn that public policy and safety messaging have lagged behind the devices’ widespread adoption. Points of concern include:
- Marketing and public perception: Some products are promoted in ways that minimise risk, portraying them as toys despite the ability to attain high speeds.
- Helmet and protective gear use: Low helmet uptake among young riders increases the risk of head and facial injuries.
- Inconsistent rules: Jurisdictional differences and unclear age restrictions or speed limits create gaps in protection for children and teens.
Clinicians say prevention must be multifaceted, combining clearer regulations, safer product standards, targeted public‑education campaigns, and improved urban planning to separate vulnerable road users from higher‑speed vehicles.
Health system implications
The rise in serious e‑scooter injuries carries consequences for emergency departments and paediatric trauma services. A sudden influx of complex trauma cases can strain resources, from imaging and surgical services to intensive care beds and rehabilitation. Preventing injuries is therefore not only a matter of child safety but also of health‑system capacity.
Paediatric specialists urge policymakers to review existing rules and to consult with injury‑prevention experts when considering age limits, speed caps, mandatory protective equipment, and restrictions on marketing targeted at children.
As e‑scooters become more common, clinicians say public health messaging should be frank about the potential for severe harm and should emphasise simple, evidence‑based measures — such as helmets and supervision — to reduce risk.
The trend documented by paediatric centres in Toronto and Montreal mirrors reports from other regions worldwide, where the rapid adoption of electric micro‑mobility has sometimes outpaced regulation and safety planning.
Continued monitoring of injury patterns, improved data collection across hospitals, and coordinated policy responses will be needed to protect young people as these devices remain part of the urban landscape.
