A Royal Perth Hospital (RPH) study has found a significant reduction in e-scooter-related Emergency Department presentations following the City of Perth’s decision to suspend its shared e-scooter scheme, reinforcing the need for stronger safety measures and evidence-based regulation of eRideables across Western Australia.
The study, reported by ABC News, found that 105 people presented to the RPH Emergency Department with e-scooter-related injuries in the 12 weeks before the ban, including eight cases classified as major trauma.
In the 12 weeks following the suspension of shared e-scooters, presentations fell to 39, with four major trauma cases recorded. Researchers concluded that the findings indicated a reduction in Emergency Department burden associated with the ban on rideshare e-scooters.
“These findings reinforce what doctors have been seeing first-hand: eRideable injuries are a preventable burden on our overstretched hospital Emergency Department doctors and allied health workers,” AMA (WA) President Dr Kyle Hoath said.
While the researchers acknowledged limitations in the data, including the inability to distinguish between privately owned and hire devices in all cases, the findings provide some of the strongest local evidence to date that policy interventions can reduce serious injury and trauma associated with eRideables.
For the AMA (WA), the results reinforce concerns that have been consistently raised by doctors working in emergency medicine, trauma services, and across the broader health system.
Professor Dieter Weber, Head of Department of General Surgery at RPH, and an AMA (WA) member, told Stateline in June last year:
“Our patients are experiencing lifetime consequences or not even surviving from injuries sustained on an e-scooter… We’re seeing the whole range of injuries from broken bones, significant internal organ injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries; injuries that have not just immediate impact but lasting lifelong effects on patients.”
The growing popularity of eRideables has created new transport options for Western Australians, but it has also led to a rise in preventable injuries, placing additional demand on hospitals and healthcare services. The AMA (WA) has repeatedly advocated for a balanced approach that recognises the benefits of eRideables while prioritising public safety and injury prevention.
In July 2025, the AMA (WA) lodged a comprehensive submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the safety, regulation and penalties associated with the use of eRideables in Western Australia. The submission highlighted growing concerns about serious injuries, fatalities, and the increasing burden being placed on the health system.
