The Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program (CPSP) released data showing ten deaths among children and teenagers who used e‑scooters or e‑bikes in 2025. The same survey recorded 48 serious incidents, including 26 hospitalisations longer than two days and 12 intensive‑care admissions.
Head injuries dominated the injury profile, accounting for 47 % of cases, while limb injuries made up 40 %. Dr. Daniel Rosenfield, a pediatric emergency physician, warned that "the majority of severely injured people are due to head injuries and these are not injuries you can walk away from." He added that many victims may face permanent disability.
Provincial regulatory landscape
Canada's patchwork of age limits and helmet rules complicates safety efforts. In Ontario, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia, riders must be at least 16 to operate a standard e‑bike, while other provinces set the bar at 14 or 15, and Quebec requires 18 unless the rider holds a Class 6D licence. For e‑scooters, the same three provinces enforce a 16‑year minimum; Quebec and Nova Scotia allow riders from 14.
Alberta and Saskatchewan ban e‑scooters on public roads, though municipalities such as Edmonton and Saskatoon may permit them locally. Helmet requirements are consistent across jurisdictions, but enforcement varies.
Calls for national standards
Rosenfield said the data highlight the need for a unified approach. "There's no amount of regulations that will make these safe and no amount of educational campaigns to get everyone to be aware of the potential risks," he told Global News. "We have to start at the absolute top and design a safer vehicle and create standards that mandate that across the country."
Several provinces are already moving. Nova Scotia announced a ban on e‑bike use by children under 14, while Alberta is amending its Traffic Safety Act to develop a provincial framework for micromobility devices. Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Government Services Mike Goosney said the province will launch public consultations to shape future legislation.
Toronto Police Service has begun a two‑week enforcement blitz after recording 514 micromobility‑related collisions this year, including two e‑scooter fatalities. The force emphasised education and helmet use, echoing Rosenfield's advice to "wear a helmet, don't ride at excessive speed and never carry a passenger on an e‑scooter."
The Canadian Institute for Health Information reported 53 youth hospitalisations from powered micromobility incidents between 2023 and 2024, reinforcing the trend identified by the CPSP. As usage climbs, pediatricians warn that fatalities could rise without coordinated policy, engineering and public‑health responses.
Based on reporting by Global News.