Queensland’s top safety and transport organisations have joined forces to demand urgent action on illegal e-mobility devices, warning that failure to act will cost more lives.
RACQ, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the Motor Trades Association of Queensland, Bicycle Queensland and Queensland Walks are calling on the State Government to ramp up enforcement of existing laws to get dangerous, high-powered e-scooters and e-bikes off the streets.
According to the state’s peak motoring body, more than 1,200 people have been treated in emergency departments following e-scooter crashes this year.
In the past week alone, two children have even lost their lives while riding the devices, including a 15-year-old boy from Worongary.
“The laws exist to end this epidemic – they just need to be consistently enforced,” RACQ’s Head of Public Policy Dr Michael Kane said.
“Under current legislation, authorised officers such as police and transport inspectors can issue defect notices and impound illegal vehicles.
“While some injuries involve legal devices, the rise in illegal, high-powered e-devices is fuelling this crisis.
“We’re calling on the State Government to get tough on people breaking the law by impounding all illegal and dangerous two-wheel electric vehicles.
“Any e-mobility device that’s unregistered, unroadworthy, and powered to exceed 25km/hr is illegal to use on public roads and paths because the consequences can be devastating.”
Medical experts say hospitals are seeing daily injuries, many of them serious head traumas.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” Associate Professor Bhavesh Patel from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons said.
“We have strict rules for bikes — it should be the same for e-devices, which are even less safe.”
Bicycle Queensland has also recently sounded the alarm on the rise in illegal electric devices.
“The recent deaths, while children are using illegal e-motorbikes on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast, have been pretty concerning,” Chief Executive Officer Professor Matthew Burke said.
“Bicycle Queensland was advocating for appropriate regulation enforcement over a year ago and has written to the Transport Minister earlier this year.”
With Christmas fast approaching, RACQ is urging parents to avoid buying illegal e-scooters or e-bikes.
“I cannot stress this enough, do not risk your child’s life, do not buy them an illegal e-mobility device,” Dr Kane said.
“Key signs you’re about to buy your kids an illegal e-device include a marketed top speed of over 25km/hr, no pedals, and warning labels such as “for private property use only”.
“No one wants to see any more children die, but it’s only a matter of time if we continue to allow illegal, unregistered and uninsured motor vehicles to be ridden in public places”.
