Number of children injured in e-scooter crashes in England surges

Calls for speed limiters or mandated helmet use after research into injuries at three paediatric trauma centres The number of children involved in crashes on e-scooters has soared in recent years, with some as young as nine involved in collisions, research has found. Researchers carried out a review of injuries among the under-16s at three specialist paediatric trauma centres – Alder Hey in Liverpool, and Sheffield and Royal Manchester children’s hospitals – between January 2019 and December 2024. They found the average age of those involved in e-scooter collisions was 12, and almost 65% of those injured were male. The most common injuries were to the limbs, followed by head and facial injuries. Fewer than 2% of patients had been wearing a helmet. Half of the children injured were between 10 and 13 years old, with the youngest only nine. The three hospitals had recorded a total of 477 e-scooter injuries, with a significant increase in numbers since 2019. More than 80% of the injuries were sustained on private e-scooters, which can only be ridden legally on private land. The majority of the accidents had happened on public land, roads and parks. Up to 1.2 million people in England a