Montreal Children’s Hospital recommends changes to e-scooter rules after serious injuries

The head of the Montreal’s Children’s Hospital trauma centre is recommending Quebec change — and better enforce — its rules for electric scooters before more young people endure “life-altering” injuries.

This summer in Montreal, a 14-year-old boy died after being struck by a car while riding his e-scooter and a 12-year-old boy survived another collision with a car.

“How many children do we have to see critically injured or die before we reflect upon whether this is the best way to do this?” said Debbie Friedman, the hospital’s trauma centre director.

In the last three months, the trauma centre treated seven e-scooter-related injuries.

She said injuries range from scrapes and bruises to brain injuries, facial trauma and fractures.

1 year since e-scooters allowed on roads

A year ago, the Quebec government officially allowed e-scooters on roadways and bicycle paths as part of a pilot project.

This amendment to the Highway Safety Code went into effect in July of last year and will remain valid for two more years.

That change meant e-scooter riders must wear helmets, be at least 14 years old and carry identification. 

But Friedman noticed that those rules are not always respected.

She said in the 34 cases the centre has seen in the last three years, 50 per cent of patients either did not wear a helmet or did not wear it properly.

“They may sustain a very severe brain injury which is life altering. And that would be a very sad thing and a very tragic event for what should be a fun activity,” said Friedman.

Lowering the speed limit and raising the minimum age

These incidents and others have prompted the centre to make a series of recommendations to the provincial government to promote safety. 

Friedman noted that the speed limit in the province is 25 kilometres per hour, while it is lower in other jurisdictions.

One of the centre’s recommendations is to bring it down to 20 kilometres per hour. 

Another concern of the trauma centre is the minimum age of 14 for riding electric scooters, which is lower than in other provinces like Ontario, where it is 16. 

Friedman hopes the centre’s suggestions will make this activity “safer and better controlled.”

The trauma centre also said that research has shown that many e-scooter-related injuries are linked to road conditions. 

In a statement, the office of Quebec’s transport minister said it would tighten rules if the results of this pilot project warranted it.

“We’ve noticed an increase in the use of this type of device in recent years, which is why we’ve extended the scope of the pilot project to evaluate their supervision, with the collaboration of cities and police forces,” read the statement. 

Other Quebec regulations include:

• Riders must ride like cyclists, on bike paths or on the side of the road, adhering to the road rules.
• No riding on roads with speed limits above 50 km/h.
• No riding on sidewalks.
• Brakes must be on each wheel.
• Hand brakes are required when the device has handlebars.
• Lights and reflectors must be on the front and back.
• No passengers are allowed.
• No use of earphones or cellphones.
• No impaired riding (alcohol or drugs).
• No riding on a bike path or a public path where there are signs indicating that it is not allowed.