B.C. school districts crack down on e-scooters, e-bikes as emergency room visits grow

Dr. Genevieve Ernst, trauma medical director at BC Children’s Hospital, said the hospital has seen a steep rise in both emergency room visits and devastating brain injuries for child patients as the result of e-scooter crashes.

By law, light e-bike riders must be at least 14-years-old and e-bike or scooter riders must be 16.

But data from the Canadian Hospital Injury Reporting and Prevention Surveillance Program shows the highest proportion of emergency room visits for e-scooter crashes were for children aged 13 and 15.

There were 81 visits to BC Children’s emergency department between April 2025 and 2026 related to e-scooter use, more than double those of the previous year. Most were a result of falling off the scooter.

Ernst said e-scooters are the culprit in the most severe injuries among patients involved in e-bike or scooter crashes at BC Children’s hospital.

She said common injuries include fractures, road rash, abrasions and head injuries. More than half of those seriously injured were not wearing helmets.

“So what you can see is long-term stays at the hospital, need for critical-care surgery, and then more long-term issues with development and learning.”

Resha Sabti, a parent from Langley, said her 12-year-old twins asked for e-scooters for their birthday last year, and it was upon researching the vehicles that she learned riders must be at least 16.

She’s since had a close call with scooters, almost hitting two young girls as they rode downhill in the rain while wearing dark clothing. The girls were not wearing helmets, she added.

The Langley school district serves students in both the Township of Langley, where e-scooters are permitted as part of a provincial pilot project, and Langley City, where they are not.

Sabti, who is running for a council seat with the Township of Langley, said she’s brought her concerns about e-bikes to the township and school district because people are confused about where the rules apply.

Though she sympathizes with the need for the vehicles among youth who may lack accessible transportation in their communities, she said she also understands the need for a school ban.

“I don’t think we should wait until a child’s death,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2026.

Marissa Birnie, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

B.C. school districts crack down on e-scooters, e-bikes as emergency room visits grow

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