Researchers reviewing e-scooter injury cases at three specialist paediatric trauma centres found 477 child injuries in England between January 2019 and December 2024. The children were under 16, and the average age was 12. The findings add urgency to calls for safer rules on private e-scooters.
Half of the injured children were between 10 and 13 years old, and the youngest was nine. Almost 65% were male, while fewer than 2% had been wearing a helmet. The most common injuries were to the limbs, followed by head and facial injuries.
Alder Hey and two other centres
The review covered injuries seen at three specialist paediatric trauma centres, and the total rose to 477 cases over the study period. The researchers said: “Clearly, reporting these accidents is important to influence and change policy,” and added: “There must also be an onus on retailers to clearly advise customers of the law, and policymakers to regulate private e-scooters, such as with speed limiters, or mandate helmet use.”
That recommendation points to the two controls now being discussed: limiting speed and requiring helmets. It also reflects the age profile in the study, with injuries spread across children as young as nine and a large share concentrated between 10 and 13.
Jacob Calland and Carly Calland
Carly Calland launched Jacob’s Journey after her son Jacob Calland died at 14 when the e-scooter he was riding as a passenger collided with a car in Wythenshawe, Manchester. In June, a 15-year-old boy was sentenced to a youth referral order and a driving ban after pleading guilty to causing his death.
She said: “No words will ever be able to describe the pain caused by Jacob’s death,” and: “My heart has been smashed into a thousand pieces and there is nothing that can be done to fix it. My life is a living nightmare.” Her campaign now sits alongside the hospital findings as evidence of the harm children can suffer around e-scooters.
Department for Transport
A Department for Transport spokesperson said private e-scooters cannot legally be used on roads, pavements or other public spaces, including by under-16s. The same statement said the Department for Transport is bringing forward new laws and consulting on requirements like helmets.
The injury pattern in the study fits that legal gap. More than 80% of the injuries involved private e-scooters, and the majority happened on public land, roads and parks. Rented e-scooters are legal on public roads, but only for riders aged 16 or older with at least a provisional driving licence, and they are typically speed limited to 15mph.
DC Steve Pennington of Greater Manchester Police said: “E-scooters are not harmless toys and they can lead to horrific consequences when used by inexperienced riders and without the due care required.” He added: “I would urge parents to check what their children are using and to ensure they are educated about the risks of using them on the road.”
One question remains open for families and clinicians: how many of the 477 injuries led to severe long-term harm or required surgery. The study shows the scale, the age profile and the setting; the next step is understanding which children are left with the hardest recovery.
