E-scooter ban: Queensland under-16 e-scooter ban backed by doctors, rejected by children’s commissioner

Queensland is under mounting pressure to bring its e-scooter rules into line with the rest of the country, with doctors warning the state risks more deaths and serious injuries if children under 16 are not banned from riding.

The Australian Medical Association Queensland (AMAQ) told a parliamentary inquiry the state was out of step with every jurisdiction except the ACT and called for a minimum riding age of 16.

AMAQ president Dr Nick Yim said clinicians across Queensland were alarmed by the escalating number of scooter-related hospital presentations.

“That includes measures like raising the minimum age to 16, enforcing speed limits, maintaining certified helmets and safety equipment, along with investment and separate infrastructure to protect pedestrians and riders alike,” he said.

Queensland Health data presented to the inquiry showed 6342 scooter-related emergency department presentations in the year to March. In the past five years, there have been 30 e-scooter-related deaths in Queensland, six involving children, the Courier Mail reported.

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons deputy chairwoman Dr Harsheet Sethi said she was concerned scooter companies were directly targeting teenagers online, marketing speed and thrill while ignoring safety equipment.

She said Queensland and the ACT were the only states still permitting riders under 16 and warned that leaving supervision to parents was a flawed model.

“Enforced supervision for 12 to 15-year-olds passed responsibility onto parents while not improving safety, at the same time creating family conflict if e-scooters were encouraged as modes of transport to school,” Dr Sethi said.

But Queensland Family and Child Commissioner Luke Twyford urged caution, warning against restricting teenagers’ freedoms. He said community awareness campaigns were a better tool to keep young riders safe.

“We need to be very careful as adults in positions of power that we don’t inoculate risk across our community,” Mr Twyford said.

He argued that long-term solutions needed to focus on planning and design, especially with Brisbane preparing to host the 2032 Olympics.

“How does Brisbane see itself, and how do we consider traffic congestion alongside pedestrian safety, alongside distance, access, all of that has to work together,” he said.

“And so, focusing on the scooter regulation would be something I caution against, we need to consider the holistic picture.”

The inquiry has drawn more than 1200 submissions from health, transport and local government groups. Its final report is due in March 2026.