{
  "id": 753444,
  "title": "10 Canadian youths died from injuries during e-scooter, e-bike use in 2025: report",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/10-canadian-youths-died-from-injuries-during-e-scooter-e-bike-use-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-13T10:00:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news-globalnews",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12018977/escooter-ebike-youth-deaths-severe-injuries-canada-report/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent report has revealed that 10 Canadian youths tragically lost their lives in 2025 due to injuries sustained from using e-scooters and e-bikes. This alarming data was released by the Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program (CPSP) following a survey of pediatricians in 2025. The report documented 48 cases of severe injuries or fatalities, including 26 hospitalizations lasting more than two days, 12 admissions to the ICU, and nine unclassified cases. Dr. Daniel Rosenfield, one of the report's authors, emphasized that these fatalities are some of the first instances of youth deaths linked to personal powered micromobility devices (PPMD) incidents, not just reported in the media or by police.\n\nE-scooters emerged as the most commonly used device among the injuries and fatalities reported. The Canadian Institute for Health Information corroborated these findings, revealing that 53 injuries requiring hospitalization occurred among youth aged 5 to 17 between 2023 and 2024. The CPSP's data showed that head injuries accounted for 47% of severely injured individuals, while 40% suffered limb injuries. Rosenfield stressed that the majority of severely injured individuals incurred permanent disabilities due to these head injuries, which are not easily recoverable.\n\nThe report highlighted that youth aged 10 to 15 constituted 42% of the cases reported by pediatricians and emergency physicians, with 18% falling within the 5 to 9-year-old age group. The average age of incidents was found to be between 10 and 12 years old. Rosenfield acknowledged that addressing this issue is complex, as it involves a patchwork of regulations governing e-bike and e-scooter usage by youth across different provinces. Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and British Columbia require youth to be 16 or older to ride standard e-bikes, whereas other provinces have lower age limits, such as 15 or 14, or no limits at all. Quebec mandates a 18-year-old age limit, except for those with a Class 6D license for mopeds or scooters, which allows them to ride at 14.\n\nProvincial regulations for e-scooters vary; Ontario, P.E.I., Saskatchewan, and British Columbia set a firm age limit of 16, while Quebec and Nova Scotia set it at 14. Alberta and Saskatchewan have imposed a complete ban on e-scooters on public roads, although municipal bylaws permit their use in specific towns and cities, such as Edmonton and Saskatoon. Furthermore, no specific age limit is set for these devices in either province, leaving it to municipalities to establish such rules. Despite these inconsistencies, Rosenfield emphasized that standardization of rules across the country would significantly aid in improving safety. In the meantime, he advocated for increased education, enforcement, and engineering efforts to address the issue.\n\nVarious provinces are taking steps to enhance safety regulations for micromobility devices. Nova Scotia has announced plans to ban children under 14 from riding electric bikes starting this fall. Alberta is amending its Traffic Safety Act to create a modernized and safer transportation system, considering a provincial framework to support the safe and consistent use of personal micromobility devices. Similarly, Newfoundland and Labrador is working with other jurisdictions and safety partners to determine the best approach to regulating these devices, with public consultations set to commence soon. Toronto police have also launched a two-week enforcement campaign focused on micromobility-related collisions, including two deaths involving e-scooters. The city's police spokesperson stated that their efforts aim to improve awareness and encourage safer usage of these devices. Dr. Rosenfield reiterated the importance of wearing helmets, avoiding excessive speeds, and refraining from carrying two individuals on e-scooters, as these actions can prevent such tragedies.",
  "summary": "Doctors say the provinces and territories have a \"patchwork\" of rules surrounding what age youth can use the devices, but injuries and deaths are happening to youth of all ages.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}