Do we need an outright ban on scramblers?
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Why are health professionals urging an outright ban on scramblers?
The Claire Byrne Show on News Talk. With Aviva Insurance.
So health professionals are coming before an Oracthus committee today to call for an outright ban on scramblers in an attempt to improve road safety for all users. Tighter controls will also be sought for e scooters. I'm joined by consultant in emergency medicine at Saint Vincent's University Hospital, Doctor John Legg. Good morning, John. Good morning, Claren. Thank you for being with us. I know what you see coming in are injuries resulting in the main from e scooter accidents. Is that right?
That's right. Yeah, we we see quite a lot of those coming through our doors. Um and some of these are very serious. They require surgery and prolonged emissions to ICU. Um, for example serious head injuries and lim limb fractures involved and also the f solid organ injuries. Um, I suppose we don't really um appreciate is the kind of a lot of these injuries are survivable, but the we don't appreciate the long term impacts of these injuries like time out of work and loss of independence and even PTSD uh resulting from these kind of injuries.
What types of injuries do e‑scooter accidents cause in emergency departments?
Mm-hmm. And what we're talking about today or what will be the focus of the committee, we believe at this stage will be further restrictions on scramblers. Do you think that's necessary?
Well, I suppose ultimately is a matter for policymakers. Um, from my perspective, what we'd like to see is fewer injuries come to the doors of our emergency department and less severe injuries in those cases. Um We already have Grace's Law, which uh effectively brings out about a ban on scramblers on public roads since april twenty twenty six. Uh this this uh w Ivory ban would ex extend that to ban them on private land and Th there may be there may be some little use of them, for example, sporting events or for agricultural purposes. I'm not really fully aware of that, but that's what they what they're calling for today. But they're they're calling for a an extension of the existing law that we ha already have.
And so are you saying that you should or that that our um that our guardies should use the laws that are already in place before we consider further legislation?
I think we do have quite good legislation on our around safety on our roads. Um the issue is w the enforcement is not consistently um is is not there consistently. So uh we we we need to kind of see an ex expansion of action enforcement, I think. Mm-hmm.
How effective is the current ‘Grace’s Law’ and why is further legislation being considered?
I I think I think there is a an understanding that the rules of the road are not universally enforced, therefore the rules of the road are somewhat optional and this results in a year in year increase in deaths on a road.
Given what you see as a result of of e scooter accidents You know, we always hear from people on this programme who use say they use e an e scooter really responsibly to get to and from work. And that they would hate to see further restrictions placed on them. We have high vees and and helmets now. Do you think that they are inherently dangerous and shouldn't be used by commuters?
The the reason they're dangerous is because they've got very small wheels and you're standing upright on them so they've got a high sense of gravity. So when you fall, you're falling from a further height and there's higher kinetic energy. So that's why they're dangerous. That's why the injuries from e scooters are more significant than an injury from cyclone, for example. You're more likely to end up in an intense care unit with an e scooter injury than you are with a cyclone injury. So they are inherently dangerous. But I do sympathize with those with those um listeners of yours because They do fill a very real gap in our transport infrastructure.
Are scramblers and e‑scooters inherently dangerous for commuters?
Um Like the so we we're currently we are deprioritising active travel, we're deprioritising uh public transport. We've seen fair increases. Um, the public transport may not get shift workers to work on time or get them home on time. Some butsons don't feel safe walking. So east good does fill a gap for those people. And I I th don't think we should outright dismiss their concerns.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
Why are health professionals urging an outright ban on scramblers?
0:01–1:02
2
What types of injuries do e‑scooter accidents cause in emergency departments?
1:02–2:19
3
How effective is the current ‘Grace’s Law’ and why is further legislation being considered?
2:19–3:23
4
Are scramblers and e‑scooters inherently dangerous for commuters?
3:23–4:21
5
How do enforcement gaps contribute to rising road deaths and injuries?
4:21–5:39
6
What is the broader impact of scooter injuries on hospital resources and patient recovery?
5:39–6:47
7
What policy changes do experts recommend to improve road safety for all users?
6:47–7:42