New research has found a sharp increase in children being injured in e-scooter crashes in England, with 477 injuries among under-16s recorded at three specialist paediatric trauma centres between 2019 and 2024.

Half of those injured were aged 10–13, the youngest was nine, and almost 65% were boys. Limb injuries were most common, followed by head and facial injuries.

Fewer than 2% of injured children were recorded as wearing a helmet, while more than 80% of incidents involved privately owned e-scooters.

Private e-scooters can only legally be used on private land, but the majority of incidents examined took place on public roads, parks and other public spaces.

Researchers called for stronger regulation and public awareness, including clearer safety information from retailers and consideration of measures such as speed limiters and mandatory helmet use.