Two e-device accidents raise concerns in SA ahead of law review
L'essentiel
- Two e-device accidents, one involving a 15-year-old girl with a fractured skull, have prompted "genuine" concern from SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens ahead of a review into the state's laws on personal mobility devices.
- Queensland has also adjusted its laws regarding e-bike and e-scooter use for minors.
Résumé généré par IA
Pourquoi c'est important
Two separate e-device accidents, one resulting in a fractured skull for a 15-year-old girl, have raised concerns about their use in South Australia. This comes a month before a review of the state's laws regarding these devices. Queensland has also recently adjusted its legislation concerning e-bike and e-scooter use for minors.
Two separate e-device accidents, one of which left a 15-year-old girl with a fractured skull, has raised "genuine" concern about the use of such devices, a month out of a review into SA's laws.
Just before 11:45pm on Tuesday, police and emergency services were called to Old Princes Highway at Nairne after reports a 15-year-old girl had crashed an e-scooter.
Police said the rider, from Mount Barker, was treated by SA Ambulance at the scene and taken to hospital with non-life threatening injures.
Earlier that night, police were called to Kensington Road after reports an e-bike had crashed into a parked Subaru sedan.
The rider, an 18-year-old man from Adelaide, was treated by an ambulance crew and taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
“The person in Nairne has a fractured skull and the 18-year-old in Norwood has a broken leg," SA Police Commissioner Grant Stevens told 891 ABC Adelaide on Wednesday morning.
"The one in Norwood has received an expiation notice because of the way they were riding ...," he said.
When questioned about the effectiveness of road safety messaging, Commissioner Stevens said a majority of people do the right thing but there was "genuine concern about the use of these personal mobility devices".
"When you think about the number of these devices that are out and about now, if you have a small number or proportion of people who are doing the wrong thing that can be quite significant in terms of actual numbers," he said.
"That’s where our focus is. You don’t have to be on the streets for too long in a metropolitan area to see people on scooters zipping about without helmets on."
Yesterday the Queensland government backed down on a proposed ban on under-16s riding e-bike and e-scooters.
The legislation was tweaked to allow those aged between 12 and 17 to ride an e-mobility device under parental supervision.
It is expected the new Queensland laws will be phased in from July 1.
In May, the Australian Medical Association SA called for a minimum age of 16 to ride an e-bike in South Australia.
The SA government is set to review e-mobility device laws in July.
"I know that my team have been compiling information, including statistical information about the number of incidents [and] the contributing factors, which will be the basis of what advice we provide to government," Commissioner Stevens said.
"It's not fair for me to elaborate on that right now."
À surveiller
Perspective IA — des possibilités, pas des certitudes
The SA government will implement new regulations or stricter enforcement for e-mobility devices.
Probable · Moyen terme
The new Queensland laws will be implemented as planned from July 1.
Très probable · Court terme
Questions ouvertes
- What specific contributing factors were identified in the SA incidents?
- What will be the exact recommendations from Commissioner Stevens' team to the SA government?
- Will there be a minimum age requirement for e-mobility devices in South Australia?
- What are the specific details of the new Queensland laws for under-16s?
