E-scooters and e-bikes are a great way to move through cities — and they help cut pollution in city centres. But the way we see them used, they’re increasingly ending up in the wrong hands: 12-to-16-year-olds on fast machines, weaving through traffic in and around Toronto. The accident data for both e-scooters and e-bikes makes the risk clear.
We’re raising the alarm
In store after store — Montréal to Toronto to Ottawa — we’re seeing more 12-to-16-year-olds on fast electric scooters and e-bikes built for adult riders. These machines reach speeds most adults struggle to control. Handing one — whether it’s an e-scooter or an e-bike — to a teenager whose reflexes and judgment are still developing is a risk no one should take.
The numbers are moving one way only
At SickKids (Toronto), e-scooter injuries exploded:
| Year | E-scooter injuries seen | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | — |
| 2023 | 26 | ▲ 26× |
| 2024 | 46 | ▲ |
| 2025 | 107 | ▲ 2.3× |
Also at CHEO (Ottawa), e-scooter visits rose 50%, from 18 to 27 in one year.
Why e-scooters and e-bikes aren’t for kids
Unlike pedal bicycles, e-scooters and e-bikes reach speeds that are simply too high for young riders to control safely. And when kids fall, it’s not a scrape — it’s fractures, concussions and trauma that often means hospital admission and surgery.
- Speed they can’t manage. Reflexes, balance and judgment are still developing — and there’s no protective structure around the rider, whether on an e-scooter or an e-bike.
- Illegal for minors. In Ontario, e-scooter and e-bike riders must be at least 16, and rules vary by municipality. Many kids riding e-scooters or e-bikes today are doing so outside the law.
Simple rules that save lives
The problem is almost never the machine — it’s how it’s used. These are the rules we ask every e-scooter and e-bike rider to follow:
Two people on a scooter or e-bike is extremely dangerous. It shifts the centre of gravity, destabilises the machine and takes both hands off the controls. E-scooters and e-bikes are designed for one rider only.
Riding one-handed — often while holding a phone — is a major cause of accidents. Both hands must stay on the handlebars at all times.
Riding on the pavement can injure other people — pedestrians, kids, seniors, strollers. Ride where you’re allowed, and never weave through foot traffic.
A properly fitted helmet, chin strap snug and level, dramatically reduces head injury. It’s non-negotiable — but a helmet can’t make an overpowered machine safe for an undersized rider.
Our policy at Repair & Run
- No e-device sales to minors. We do not sell electric scooters or e-bikes to anyone under 18.
- Parental consent for minor repairs. Any repair on a minor’s e-scooter or e-bike requires a parent or guardian present in store to give consent.
- We help riders ride safely. When you bring your e-scooter or e-bike in, we’re happy to remind you of the basics — no passengers, both hands on the bars, stay off the pavement, wear the helmet.
- Honest safety advice. Our technicians will tell you when a machine — an e-scooter or an e-bike — is beyond a rider’s age or skill, even if it means losing a sale.
- Age-appropriate alternatives. We’ll help you find a bike, kick scooter or balance bike that fits riders of every age.
Safer alternatives for young riders
- Balance bikes — the right first step for toddlers and young kids to learn balance safely.
- Kick scooters — active, affordable and no motor, so speed stays in the rider’s control.
- Pedal bikes, correctly sized — with a helmet, on protected lanes and quiet streets.
- E-bikes for 16+, where legal — a bigger, stable platform better matched to older, more experienced riders.
Visit us in store: Montréal · Toronto · Ottawa · Vancouver · Québec.
Repairs, fittings, honest advice — and the right e-bike or escooter for every age.
Sources
- Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), Deadly Impact: The Rise of E-Scooter Injuries — cihi.ca.
- Global News, E-scooters driving “huge” number of child injuries, doctors say — globalnews.ca.
- CTV News, E-scooter injuries: Doctors see sharp increase in ER visits (July 14, 2026) — SickKids annual figures, 2020–2025 — ctvnews.ca.
- CP24, “This is not a toy”: Children’s hospitals warn of rising e-scooter injuries (June 20, 2026) — CHEO, 50% rise, 18→27 — cp24.com.
- Canadian Paediatric Society, E-Scooter and E-Bike Warning (Aug 15, 2024) — cps.ca.
- SickKids, SickKids seeing growing number of injuries from e-scooters and e-bicycles (Aug 9, 2024) — summer 16 vs 5 — sickkids.ca.