- Published:
- Thursday 5 December 2024
A new road safety campaign showing the painful and potentially deadly consequences of the dangerous and illegal use of e-scooters has been launched by the Allan Labor Government.
Minister for Public and Active Transport Gabrielle Williams today joined the Transport Accident Commission to launch the new e-scooter safety campaign – If you think e-scooters are a toy, think again.
The campaign follows the introduction of tough laws targeting dangerous riding behaviour – including increased penalties for riding without a helmet, riding on a footpath, and carrying a passenger.
Riders caught under the influence of drugs or alcohol are subject to the same rules as motorists – and risk losing their licence.
E-scooters are a popular transport option for thousands of Victorians and the campaign will improve awareness of the risks of unsafe riding as well as the significant penalties.
Central to the campaign is a series of videos that showcase toy characters riding dangerously and end with images of riders suffering serious injuries – the concept is backed by research that shows many Victorians see e-scooters as toys and fail to understand the key laws relating to e-scooter use which can have painful consequences
Data shows the most common e-scooter-related injuries requiring hospitalisation include limb, head and facial injuries – and the risk of severe injury or death is even greater when the rider is breaking the road rules, including not wearing a helmet or drink-riding.
From today, Victorians will see and hear the new campaign until Sunday, 26 January 2025 across a wide range of multimedia platforms.
To learn more about the e-scooter rules, visit transport.vic.gov.au/Road-rules-and-safety/E-scooter-road-rules.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Active and Public Transport Gabrielle Williams
“E-scooters are an increasingly popular way for Victorians to get around, and our new laws are helping create a safer environment for riders and pedestrians.”
“Riders can help keep themselves and others safe by doing the right thing, and this new campaign will be a wake-up call for those who think they are harmless and fun toys.”
Quotes attributable to Transport Accident Commission CEO Tracey Slatter
“It is concerning that research shows that many Victorians see e-scooters are toys and are unaware of the laws and penalties – this campaign aims to tackle both of these issues.”
“We are asking all Victorians to do the right thing every time they ride an e-scooter – wear a helmet, don’t carry a passenger, stay off the footpath and don’t ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”