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E-scooter hospitalizations up by 40% in past year: CIHI
🇨🇦 Canada /Health & Science

E-scooter hospitalizations up by 40% in past year: CIHI

From Global News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency New plan
  • Hospitalizations for e-scooter injuries in Canada increased by nearly 40% in the past year, reaching 837.
  • Head and brain injuries, along with fractures, were the most common reasons for hospitalization.
  • Injuries among children aged 15 and under saw a significant jump, from 54 to 150.

Hospitalizations due to e-scooter injuries have surged by nearly 40% in Canada over the past year, with the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) reporting 837 such incidents between April 2025 and March 2026. This marks a substantial increase from the 601 hospitalizations recorded in the preceding year.

For whatever reason, we’ve seen a real tipping point this past summer of just the prevalence of people using these devices.

— Daniel RosenfieldA pediatric emergency physician at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children and chair of the injury prevention committee for the Canadian Pediatric Society, commenting on the rise in e-scooter injuries.

The data highlights that head and brain injuries, as well as fractures, are the most frequent causes for e-scooter riders seeking hospital care. Daniel Rosenfield, a pediatric emergency physician, expressed little surprise at the numbers, noting a "tipping point" in the prevalence of e-scooter use over the summer. He attributed the rise in injuries to the increased availability and use of these devices.

There are more of these devices out there. So, the more kids and teens that are using them, the more of them that are going to get injured.

— Daniel RosenfieldExplaining the correlation between the increased availability of e-scooters and the rise in injuries.

Particularly concerning is the sharp rise in hospitalizations among children aged 15 and under, which jumped from 54 in 2024-25 to 150 in 2025-26. Boys accounted for the majority of these young patients. Among adults aged 16-30, hospitalizations also saw an increase, from 129 to 153.

And as a result, the more people that are on them, the more injuries we’re going to see.

— Daniel RosenfieldFurther elaborating on the direct relationship between usage and injury rates.

Michael Terner, manager for hospital data management at CIHI, noted that these trends are common in large urban areas where e-scooters are increasingly accessible and affordable. He emphasized the importance of educating young people about the risks associated with e-scooters to encourage informed decision-making and injury prevention. Fractures and major joint injuries accounted for 65% of all reported injuries, while head and brain injuries represented 18.8%, with this latter category showing an increasing proportion over time.

These economical devices are really popular and they’re just gaining in popularity as they become more accessible and cheaper.

— Michael TernerThe manager for hospital data management at CIHI, discussing the factors contributing to the popularity of e-scooters.
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Originally published by Global News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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