Queensland doctors call for total ban on children riding e-bikes and e-scooters

AMA Queensland says only safe position is to restrict under-16s to kid-powered devices, despite hospital figures showing injuries fell after July crackdown

By LineZotpaper

Published21 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Sources4 outlets

AMA Queensland, the state's peak doctors' body, has urged the Queensland government to ban under-16s from riding e-bikes and e-scooters outright, arguing the supervised-riding laws introduced in July do not go far enough. The call came as government data showed serious hospital admissions for child e-mobility injuries fell sharply in the first three months of the new rules.

AMA Queensland is urging the state government to go further than its current crackdown and ban under-16s from riding e-bikes and e-scooters altogether.

The call came on Wednesday, a day after the government released Queensland Children's Hospital figures showing the number of children admitted for more than 24 hours with serious e-scooter or e-bike injuries fell from 18 between January and March and 16 between April and June to just seven between July and September.

The July-to-September period covers the first three months of laws that took effect on July 1, which allow riders aged 12 to 17 to use compliant e-bikes and e-scooters only under adult supervision. The laws stopped short of an outright ban.

Professor Roy Kimble, director of paediatric surgery, burns and trauma at the Queensland Children's Hospital, said the data covered only the first three months since the rules changed. "But I'm very pleased to say that there has been a rapid decline in the number of children into this hospital after riding e-scooters and e-bikes," he said.

AMA Queensland president Erica Gannon said the only safe position was to restrict children to kid-powered devices. "The only safe position to take is to restrict kids to kid-powered devices only and leave the electric ones for when they've built more awareness around road rules," she said. "AMA Queensland told the parliamentary inquiry into e-mobility devices the best policy was a total ban on under-16s, and we still believe that."

Gannon said injuries of this nature were "incredibly traumatic" and had a ripple effect on patients' families, communities and health professionals. She said riding electric devices changed behaviour compared with conventional bicycles, because less physical effort was required to reach and maintain higher speeds.

Three people have died in Queensland while riding personal mobility devices this year, including a 13-year-old boy who died after being flown to the children's hospital with critical head injuries following a crash in August.

Separately, a study funded by the Department of Transport and Main Roads found that half of the e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards owned by Queenslanders are illegal, based on self-reported speed, power and throttle.

Analysis

Why This Matters

A total ban would remove the ability of 12 to 17 year olds to ride e-bikes and e-scooters even under adult supervision, affecting families who use the devices for transport and recreation.
The hospital figures are early but suggest the current supervised-riding rules are already changing injury patterns, feeding into an active parliamentary inquiry into e-mobility devices.
Deaths this year, including that of a 13-year-old rider, keep the safety debate at the centre of Queensland transport policy.

Background

Queensland introduced its supervised-riding rules for 12 to 17 year olds on July 1 this year, after a period in which child injury admissions at the Queensland Children's Hospital were substantially higher. The laws allow compliant devices under adult supervision but stopped short of the total ban on under-16s that AMA Queensland recommended to a parliamentary inquiry. The broader debate over e-mobility devices has centred on how they mix with footpath and road traffic, and on compliance, with a government-funded study finding half the devices owned by Queenslanders do not meet legal requirements.

Key Perspectives

Doctors (AMA Queensland): President Erica Gannon argues the only safe policy is to restrict children to kid-powered devices, saying electric devices change riding behaviour and that serious injuries have a traumatic ripple effect. The association made the same recommendation to the parliamentary inquiry. The state government: The government has so far opted for supervision rather than prohibition, permitting 12 to 17 year olds to ride compliant devices with an adult, and has pointed to falling hospital admissions since the July rules took effect. Families and young riders: A ban would take away the option now available to 12 to 17 year olds who ride legally under adult supervision, while the finding that half of devices are illegal indicates many families own devices that do not comply with current rules.

What to Watch

The parliamentary inquiry into e-mobility devices, which AMA Queensland has already addressed, and whether the government heeds its recommendation for a total ban on under-16s.
The next round of Queensland Children's Hospital admission figures (October to December), which will show whether the decline continues beyond the first three months of the new laws.
Any government response to the Transport and Main Roads study on illegal devices, which could bring stricter compliance or enforcement measures.

Sources

Doctors call for blanket ban on kids riding electric bikes, scooters · WA Today - Latest News
Doctors call for blanket ban on kids riding electric bikes, scooters · Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
Doctors call for blanket ban on kids riding electric bikes, scooters · The Age - Latest News
Doctors call for blanket ban on kids riding electric bikes, scooters · Brisbane Times - Latest News

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedThe headline says Queensland doctors are calling for a total ban on children riding e-bikes and e-scooters.WA Today - Latest News: “AMA Queensland, the peak body for Queensland doctors, issued a call on Wednesday for the crackdown to go further. “The only safe position to take is to restrict kids to kid-powered devices only and leave the electric ones for when they’ve built more awareness around road rules,” president Erica Gannon said. “AMA Queensland told the parliamentary inquiry into e-mobility devices the best policy was a total ban on under-16s, and we still believe that.”
SupportedAMA Queensland urged the government to ban under-16s from riding e-bikes and e-scooters outright.WA Today - Latest News: “Data showing fewer children are being hurt while riding e-scooters and e-bikes has prompted Queensland’s peak doctor association to urge the state government to go further and ban under-16s from riding the devices altogether.”
SupportedThe AMA says the only safe position is to restrict children to kid-powered devices.WA Today - Latest News: ““The only safe position to take is to restrict kids to kid-powered devices only and leave the electric ones for when they’ve built more awareness around road rules,” president Erica Gannon said.”
SupportedThe AMA says the best policy is a total ban on under-16s and that it still believes this.WA Today - Latest News: ““AMA Queensland told the parliamentary inquiry into e-mobility devices the best policy was a total ban on under-16s, and we still believe that.”
SupportedThe call came on Wednesday, after the government released the hospital figures on Tuesday.WA Today - Latest News: “On Tuesday, the state government released figures on the number of patients admitted to the Queensland Children’s Hospital since the crackdown earlier this year”
SupportedThe hospital figures showed seven children admitted for more than 24 hours for serious e-scooter or e-bike incidents in July–September, compared with 18 in January–March and 16 in April–June.WA Today - Latest News: “Just seven children were admitted between July and September for more than 24 hours for serious e-scooter or e-bike incidents, compared with 18 between January and March, and 16 from April to June.”
SupportedThe July-to-September period covered the first three months since the rules changed, and riders aged 12 to 17 could use compliant devices only under adult supervision.WA Today - Latest News: “Under the laws, which came into effect from July 1, riders aged 12 to 17 can use compliant e-bikes and e-scooters, but must be supervised by an adult. ... Professor Roy Kimble ... said the data only showed the first three months since laws had changed.”
SupportedProfessor Roy Kimble said, “there has been a rapid decline in the number of children into this hospital after riding e-scooters and e-bikes.”WA Today - Latest News: ““But I’m very pleased to say that there has been a rapid decline in the number of children into this hospital after riding e-scooters and e-bikes,” he said.”
Partly supportedGannon said electric devices changed rider behaviour because less physical effort was needed to reach and maintain higher speeds.WA Today - Latest News: “Gannon said riding e-mobility devices was different from ordinary pushbikes or scooters, and affected how riders behaved. “The physical effort required to ride, accelerate and maintain higher speeds on a conventional bicycle can influence how riders behave around traffic”
SupportedThree people died in Queensland while riding personal mobility devices this year, including a 13-year-old boy who died after a crash in August.WA Today - Latest News: “Three people have died in Queensland while riding “personal mobility devices”, which includes e-scooters, this year. One of those was a 13-year-old boy who was flown to the children’s hospital in Brisbane with critical head injuries after a crash in August, and later died.”
SupportedA Department of Transport and Main Roads-funded study found that half of Queenslanders’ e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards are illegal based on self-reported speed, power and throttle.WA Today - Latest News: “a study funded by Transport and Main Roads has found half of the e-bikes, e-scooters and e-skateboards owned by Queenslanders are illegal, based on self-reported speed, power and throttle.”