This follows the tragic death of pedestrian Thanh Phan on 3 June 2025 after being struck by an e-scooter in the Perth CBD.
A similar decision to ban rental e-scooters was made by the City of Melbourne in August 2024.
Since the introduction of e-scooters, a steady rise in deaths of riders, passengers and pedestrians has been recorded globally. This places pressure on first responders as well as surgical wait lists in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. "We have at least one major e-scooter injury every day that's severe enough to be admitted to the state major trauma unit at Royal Perth Hospital," says Professor Dieter Weber, head of Trauma Services at Royal Perth Hospital and former Chair of the RACS Western Australian Trauma Committee.
Professor Weber has been a major advocate on the impact of e-scooter injuries. "Our patients are experiencing lifetime consequences or not even surviving from injuries on an e-scooter", Professor Weber told ABC's Stateline program.
The RACS Trauma Committee, chaired by Dr Matthew Hope, supports Professor Weber's statement, specifically:
• e-scooter injuries are considered to be avoidable, especially by wearing a helmet and avoiding being under the influence of drugs and alcohol
• patients who have been involved in accidents involving e-scooters are experiencing a wide range of injuries, including broken bones and injuries to internal organs, the brain and spinal cord. Not only do these injuries have an immediate impact but also lasting lifelong effects
• e-scooters are being used in different situations to traditional bicycles and that the battery power of e-scooters can lead to greater impact, injury and aftermath seen in clinical wards
• while the majority of patients admitted to state trauma units are e-scooter riders, a large group are those who have been hit by the e-scooters.
In a study conducted by Professor Weber and colleagues published in RACS' ANZ Journal of Surgery in July 2023, it was found 81 patients sustained e-scooter related injuries in Western Australia in the period from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2022. The majority of patients were male (80%) with a median age of 40 years. Helmet use was reported in 43% of patients and was found to be associated with significantly lower odds of head injury. 35% of patients were intoxicated with either alcohol or drugs. 54% of patients required surgery.
Suspending the hire of e-scooters is a step towards a broader and informed discussion as to the role we see e-scooters playing in Western Australia. The RACS Trauma Committee looks forward to engaging with the state's key stakeholders in this discussion.
