Two leading organisations in Brisbane have teamed up to fund new trauma research that aims to curb e-scooter related injuries, benefiting riders in the Safe Nights Precincts that include Fortitude Valley and South Brisbane, where there have been several incidents of e-scooter mishaps.
Read: Police Launches Crackdown On E-scooter Riders In CBD, Fortitude Valley
The Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH) Foundation and RACQ will donate a combined $200,000 to support the two-year study, led by researchers from Jamieson Trauma Institute (JTI) in collaboration with major Hospital Emergency Departments, including RBWH.
RBWH Foundation CEO Simone Garske said this valuable and timely research offers significant potential to improve the safety of e-mobility both in Queensland and around the world, as the number of e-mobility injuries increases.
Jamieson Trauma Institute is one of the top institutes in injury surveillance research and they have already been advising government-level strategies on electronic personal mobility devices or e-PMD injuries.
JTI found in their latest analysis that males accounted for 63 percent of all e-scooter injuries with those aged 25-34 years the most common age group followed by 18–24-year-olds at 28 percent.
Dr Gary Mitchell, Emergency Department Staff Specialist at RBWH, added that the majority of ED presentations occur on weekends, with Friday the most common weekday.
David Carter, CEO at RACQ said the findings would be used to shape policy and regulatory responses and better educate Queenslanders on how to be safe on e-mobility devices.
“This research will give us a thorough understanding on how many people are ending up in hospital emergency departments with e-mobility related injuries and will allow us to better understand injury patterns, severity, circumstances, and treatment outcomes,” Mr Carter said.
Earlier this year, police launched a blitz on e-scooter riders in the CBD and Fortitude Valley, targeting those who ride in a dangerous manner, such as those who are overspeeding, using a mobile phone, carrying passengers or not wearing a helmet.
The State Government has also rolled out an education campaign which focuses on the safety of riders, such as the proper use of helmets, how to overtake pedestrians, and how to park e-scooters.