The numbers should get the attention of parents and policymakers.

At Toronto's SickKids, e-scooter injury cases climbed from 26 in 2023 to 107 in 2025. Montreal Children's Hospital says its cases have increased tenfold since 2023. A Canadian Paediatric Society survey documented 10 deaths, 12 ICU admissions and 26 lengthy hospitalizations over just 12 months, with head injuries appearing in roughly half of reported cases.

One Ontario family told CBC about their 12-year-old son crashing an e-scooter while travelling an estimated 69 km/h without a helmet. He fractured his skull, suffered a brain bleed and spent more than a week in a coma.

Part of the problem is how these devices are perceived. They're often marketed in ways that can make them seem like toys, while some can accelerate to speeds that carry very adult consequences.

Doctors aren't necessarily calling for e-scooters to disappear. They can be useful alternatives to cars and complement public transit. But Canada's patchwork of provincial and municipal rules isn't keeping pace with their popularity, and physicians are calling for clearer product messaging, better public education and stronger enforcement.

CBC health reporting like this is part of what public broadcasting is for. It takes emerging evidence from hospitals, researchers and families and puts it into a national context, giving Canadians information that could quite literally prevent another child from ending up in an ICU.

Do you think Canada needs stronger and more consistent e-scooter regulations, particularly when it comes to children, speed limits and helmets? 

[Link](https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/e-scooters-pediatrician-survey-9.7305210)

CBC News is reporting a troubling rise in serious e-scooter injuries among Canadian children and teens.