1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Public health and safety experts are calling for improved e 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: scooter safety regulation across Australia after a new research published 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: this week showed almost one hundred and eighty young people 4 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: under sixteen required hospital treatment over two years on the 5 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: Sunshine Coast alone. Now, the report in the Australian and 6 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,919 Speaker 1: New Zealand Journal of Public Health is the first of 7 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: it's kind to capture pediatric e scooter injury data in 8 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: an Australian region. Experts say that these findings expose a 9 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:38,599 Speaker 1: potentially widespread and increasing cause of major injury in children. 10 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: Now joining us on the line is well the lead author, 11 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: doctor Matthew Clanfield. Good morning to you. Doctor Clanfield, good morning. 12 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for having me on and talking 13 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 2: about this really important Yeah. 14 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: Look, I'm really interested because you know, I've got young 15 00:00:54,880 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: kids who have at different times written on those e 16 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: scooters and so I mean, how prevalent are these e 17 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:04,400 Speaker 1: scooter crashes? 18 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 2: Yeah, So when I was working in the pediatric emergency 19 00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 2: department last year, I saw a kid coming in every 20 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:13,279 Speaker 2: couple of days, and as you rightly said, the study 21 00:01:13,319 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 2: over two years picked up one hundred and seventy six kids, 22 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 2: almost one hundred and eighty kids, which averaged out to 23 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 2: that two to three per week. Now, the really startling 24 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 2: things with some of the statistics around the safety around eastcooters. 25 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 2: So forty two percent of these kids weren't wearing a 26 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,520 Speaker 2: helmet at the time that they were riding the E scooters. 27 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 2: Another thirty six percent admitted to going over the maximum 28 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 2: speed limit of twenty five k's an hour. We had 29 00:01:37,880 --> 00:01:41,000 Speaker 2: one child hit a car at seventy kilometers an hour, 30 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 2: and like that is just something that shouldn't happen. You know, 31 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:47,320 Speaker 2: these these scooters are meant to have a speed limit 32 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 2: of twenty five k's an hour. So as to why 33 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 2: these things are getting up to you know, fifty sixty 34 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 2: seventy k's an hours are really concerning facts. 35 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:58,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, do you reckon they? Like I don't even know 36 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: if you can buy them going that fast or whether 37 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: they've sort of got a you know, amp them up 38 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: however you do that. 39 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, So from my understanding, in the Northern Territory, you 40 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 2: can't have a public you can't have a private EA 41 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,080 Speaker 2: scooter on public roads. You need to be using one 42 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:16,959 Speaker 2: of the rideshare ones. Unfortunately, that's not the case in 43 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 2: many states around Australia, including Queensland, these East scooters. Unfortunately, 44 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 2: I think adults forget how tech savvy kids are. So 45 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 2: I had the opportunity to go around and talk to 46 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 2: a couple of different schools on the Sunshine Coast and 47 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 2: spoken to kids about it, and they said it's as 48 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 2: simple as getting on Google and being able to change 49 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:40,079 Speaker 2: the governance and remove the speed limit on the East scooters. 50 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 2: So a really concerning fact it is now. 51 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: I mean when we talk about because there'll be some 52 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 1: people listening this morning going oh come on, you know 53 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 1: they're having a bit of fun. But when you talk 54 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:53,639 Speaker 1: about why this is a concern, what kind of injuries 55 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: were you seeing? 56 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, so unfortunately there was one intent of the kids 57 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 2: that presented came in with a threatening or potentially life 58 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 2: threatening injuries. We had. You know, it ranged from kids 59 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 2: you know, having severe hand injuries and eating can physio 60 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:13,359 Speaker 2: for every year, psychological impacts on families and parents. One 61 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,200 Speaker 2: child needed to get it flown down to Brisbane to 62 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:22,239 Speaker 2: receive urgent neurosurgical involvement to save their life. And you 63 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 2: know that kids obviously had a massive change in their trajectory. 64 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,919 Speaker 2: And this is still affecting them to this day. So 65 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 2: you know, I think it's something that we aren't taking 66 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 2: a serious as we should now in. 67 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: Terms of the location that you looked at. Was it 68 00:03:39,600 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: just on the Sunshine Coast that you looked at as 69 00:03:42,120 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: part of this research or were there other locations around 70 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: Australia as well. 71 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 2: So this study is purely just based off the Sunshine 72 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 2: Coast University Hospital. And the startling fact is there's another 73 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,120 Speaker 2: four hospitals within a forty five minute radius of that 74 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 2: hospital that could have received kids with East Good or accidents. 75 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 2: So this data is probably underestimating the number of es scooter 76 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 2: accidents that are presenting to hospital and then definitely underestimating 77 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 2: the amount of you know call out like qas they 78 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 2: would have gone out to the scenes of quite a 79 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 2: few accidents involving sorry betweens and ambulance service would have 80 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 2: gone out and seen quite a few escooter accidents on 81 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 2: the scene and deemed them safe to go home. So 82 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 2: this is underestimating the amount of accidents that are occurring 83 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 2: in our young people. 84 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:31,679 Speaker 1: Now you did touch on these, you know, you said 85 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,560 Speaker 1: that some of the kids were wearing helmets, some weren't. 86 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 1: I mean, like how often are our kids riding around 87 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: on these sort of you know, amped up scooters without 88 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:43,760 Speaker 1: helmets on. 89 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, So in our data set, we found that there 90 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 2: were seventy four kids said that they weren't wearing helmets 91 00:04:50,560 --> 00:04:53,520 Speaker 2: at the time of the accident, so roughly forty two 92 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:58,920 Speaker 2: percent thirteen percent or twenty three kids didn't have that 93 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 2: documented in their e urgency visit, so I wasn't able 94 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 2: to obtain the absolute amount. Another concerning statistic was that 95 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 2: we had twelve percent of kids saying they were doubling 96 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:12,040 Speaker 2: at the time, which means two kids were writing on 97 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 2: the same EA scooter, which is also illegal in all states. 98 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:18,719 Speaker 1: Now, what are you hoping is? You know, what are 99 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: you hoping is done with the findings of this research, 100 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: because you know, like I said from the outset, I 101 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:26,840 Speaker 1: know that even here in the Northern Territory and you 102 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:29,359 Speaker 1: touched on this too, you know, they're not meant to 103 00:05:29,400 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: have these private e scooters on the roads, But I'm like, 104 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: you see them around even here in the top end, 105 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: and I know that obviously can hire the scooters that 106 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: the council has a contract with and they can't go 107 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: too much faster. I guess that they you know, they've 108 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,800 Speaker 1: got some strict rules in place there, but I mean, like, 109 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: where can we go with this research and what do 110 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 1: you think needs to happen. 111 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, so there's a couple of things that would ideally 112 00:05:56,279 --> 00:05:58,880 Speaker 2: like to happen. So Number one is Queensland changed their 113 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 2: law so they're one of the only state by the 114 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 2: Act that allows twelve to fifteen year olds on e scooters. 115 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 2: So I think that the Queensland government should urgently change that. 116 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 2: They have a statewide inquiry going at the moment about 117 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 2: immobility devices, which includes e bikes and e scooters, to 118 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 2: investigate how best to implement them. But I think that 119 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:19,480 Speaker 2: you know, it's safe to say that a twelve year 120 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 2: old shouldn't be navigating a roundabout bursting cars. But that's 121 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:26,280 Speaker 2: number one, And then you know, going forward, I think 122 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 2: making sure that the governance on scooters is stricter so 123 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 2: we don't get those souped up scooters that going at 124 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:37,160 Speaker 2: fifty six, fifty or sixty kilometers an hour is really 125 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,360 Speaker 2: important because as you said, like you know, they are 126 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 2: meant to be speed limited. I don't know why we're 127 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 2: allowing things for sale that aren't, you know, street leaders 128 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:51,840 Speaker 2: the thing that makes me concerns doctor Clanfield. 129 00:06:51,920 --> 00:06:54,840 Speaker 1: I know as well, you know, with a young son 130 00:06:54,960 --> 00:06:57,919 Speaker 1: or with a son, that's certainly you know, reaching those teenagers. 131 00:06:58,080 --> 00:06:59,920 Speaker 1: It's not just as scooters as well. I think they 132 00:07:00,080 --> 00:07:02,239 Speaker 1: also like even with the bikes that you see around 133 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 1: the place too, some of them are sort of souped 134 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:04,679 Speaker 1: up as well. 135 00:07:05,480 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, one hundred percent correct. And I think the 136 00:07:08,880 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 2: the inquiry to come out at Queensland, and I think 137 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 2: it's due in March next year, will kind of shed 138 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,320 Speaker 2: some light on how dangerous some of these emobility devices 139 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 2: can be. And I believe that this research about one 140 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 2: regional hospital is just a tip of the iceberg. In 141 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:26,160 Speaker 2: the next six and twelve months we're going to have 142 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 2: some really important data coming out from big hospitals like 143 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 2: you know, dah And Hospital, Gold Coast Hospital, in Hospital, 144 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 2: Melbourne Hospital, and it'll shed a light on how how 145 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:39,920 Speaker 2: much this is impacting our hot system. And there's already 146 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:43,480 Speaker 2: under an extreme amount of strain, you know, and we're 147 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,200 Speaker 2: putting more people at risk. So I really hope in 148 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 2: the next six to twelve months we get some major changes. 149 00:07:48,680 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, look, it certainly gives me and I'm sure 150 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 1: some of the other parents listening this morning some food 151 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: for thought as well. So doctor Matthew Clanfield, I really 152 00:07:57,480 --> 00:07:59,680 Speaker 1: appreciate your time this morning. Thanks for having a chat 153 00:07:59,680 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: with us. 154 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 2: No, I really appreciate you talking about it. It's a 155 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 2: very important issue, so thank you so much. 156 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: Again, no worries at all, Thank you, Thanks for your time.