A combined $200,000 donation from RACQ and the RBWH Foundation donation is set to drive electric scooter trauma research, with the results to shape policy and laws for improving user safety.
The donation will support three research projects over a three-year collaboration between Jamieson Trauma Institute, a leader in injury research, and major emergency departments including Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
Findings will help educate Queenslanders on how to be safe on e-mobility devices, says RACQ chief executive David Carter.
“This research will give us a thorough understanding on how many people are ending up in hospital emergency departments with e-mobility related injuries and will allow us to better understand injury patterns, severity, circumstances, and treatment outcomes,” he explains.
RBWH Foundation chief executive Simone Garske says the goal is to save lives.
“This research partnership will really help make the outcomes for people using e-scooters safer and ensure that policy and regulatory settings and all the education and advice we can give is appropriate and saves lives.”
Recent RACQ research into e-scooter behaviour found an alarming number of riders were not taking safety seriously.
RACQ’s survey found almost half of e-scooter riders admitted to dangerous riding behaviour and more than 10% said they did not use any safety equipment when riding.
Many users also admitted to riding under the influence of alcohol, not knowing the road rules, and crashing, RACQ adds.
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