How to keep your child safe when riding an e-bike or e-scooter
Last week, Queensland teenagers Lachlan Jay Henttonen (16) and Ada Fels-Parker (15) died in an accident involving the e-bike they were riding and a motorcycle. Tragically, it is among a growing number of deaths including e-bike and e-scooter users in Australia.
While there is no official, national mechanism for recording e-bike or e-scooter injuries or deaths (instead they are often grouped with bicycles, pedestrians or broader e-mobility categories), Queensland government data has found that more than five people a day present to emergency services with e-scooter injuries in that state alone, with 2000 seriously injured in 2025, up from 1626 in 2024.
Figures for e-bikes show New South Wales recorded 233 injuries and four deaths in the first seven months of 2025.
John Duncan, chief operating officer of road safety charity BRAKE Driver Awareness Australia, believes the rise in these figures is due to the rapidly increasing use of the devices.
“Estimates suggest that around four million Australians own or are using an e-mobility device. The actual number is likely higher given how quickly the rate of adoption is increasing,” he says.
And young people bear the brunt of these injuries; e-bike accidents are most common among youth aged 15 to 18, and almost half of e-scooter injuries in Victoria involve youth aged 10 to 14; “Despite laws banning cyclists under the age of 16,” says Duncan.
While technology and accessibility have come at a rapid pace, Duncan says education has failed to deliver, and this gap is costing young people their safety and, in some cases, their lives.
The key to closing the safety gap is the education that BRAKE Driver Awareness aims to deliver, a school-based road safety education program delivered by teachers in classrooms.
“If we can reach students early, before they start cycling regularly, we can help prevent accidents rather than intervening after tragedies occur,” Duncan says.
It has reached more than 90,000 students across Queensland so far and is currently being piloted in other states. But parents also play an important role in keeping children and young people safe.
Why is it difficult for parents to persuade teenagers to listen?
Adolescence can be an important but challenging time for parents trying to get their children to obey, says Michelle Olaithe, clinical director of HealthBright.
“Between the ages of 11 and 15, children enter early to middle adolescence, a stage defined by biological ‘imbalance’ in the brain,” he says.
“Their emotional system is extremely active, but the planning and impulse control part is [the pre-frontal cortex] “He’s still developing and won’t fully mature until his mid-to-late 20s.”
This is also the time when these tweens and teens test boundaries and question authority.
“Part of this is due to the natural ‘optimism bias’ in young people’s brains, where they believe they are invincible,” Olaithe explains.
Duncan agrees, citing this as a contributing factor to e-bike and e-scooter accidents.
“Their ability to manage risk and reward is still maturing,” he says. “Add to this speed, limited experience in traffic environments and limited understanding of road rules, and the risk can increase rapidly.”
BRAKE’s John Duncan suggests five things young people can do to cycle safely
- Always wear a helmet. Head injuries are one of the most common causes of hospitalization.
- Stick to legal bikes and scooters. Resist the pressure to buy faster devices.
- Stay visible and predictable. It is important to drive where you are expected.
- Use your bell early. Bells are a courtesy warning to pedestrians. As for pedestrians, try not to act defensively when the bell rings; It is a courtesy warning that a silent device is approaching.
- Do not replace devices. Devices are designed for safe speeds, and removing speed limiters significantly increases the risk.
How to make speeches that young people will remember?
Clinical psychologist and head of education at Triple P International, Dr. Despite the pushback, parents remain one of the most effective sources of safety information during adolescence and are critical to having safety conversations, says Alan Ralph.
“Even if your child rolls their eyes or insists they ‘already know,’ your guidance still shapes their decisions,” she says.
A good place to start is to find out what your child has been told about e-scooter and e-bike safety, including laws regarding helmets, road rules, speed limits and where they are allowed to ride.
“This makes the conversation collaborative rather than feeling like a lecture,” explains Ralph.
It’s worth checking your state or territory’s laws and guidelines regarding e-scooters and e-safety.
“Laws vary across Australia, so it’s important to check your state’s age limits and rules before your child gets out riding. If you get pushback, gently remind your child that these laws exist for the same reason as laws on alcohol, tobacco and social media: to keep children safe.”
Ralph adds that it is very important to choose the right moment when you and your child are calm.
“Teens listen best when they’re calm, not tired, stressed, or staring at a screen. Often the easiest conversations are had side by side, like in the car, on a walk, or doing something together.”
Finally, Ralph says flexibility is key.
“What works one day may not work the next. But some situations make tweens and teens much less likely to listen, especially during conversations about safety.”
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