Unauthorised e-scooters injure three children in Styria

Three children and teenagers were injured in separate e-scooter crashes in Seiersberg and Feldkirchen, in the Graz-Umgebung district, on Sunday, ORF reported. None was wearing a helmet, and none of the scooters was approved for use in public traffic.

In the afternoon, two brothers crashed in Feldkirchen bei Graz. A 15-year-old had illegally taken his nine-year-old brother on the e-scooter. The younger boy suffered serious head injuries and was admitted to Graz Regional Hospital. His older brother was slightly injured. Neither was wearing a helmet.

Police said the scooter had been modified and reached 49 kilometres per hour on a roller test bench, although the permitted maximum is 25 kilometres per hour. The 15-year-old was reported to police.

Later that evening in Seiersberg, a 12-year-old ignored a stop sign and collided without braking with a public bus, according to police. The boy, who was not wearing a helmet, suffered serious injuries to his thigh and was taken to hospital.

Police said initial investigations found that the scooter had a power output of 2,000 watts and could reach speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour, meaning it was not approved for use in public traffic. The boy’s mother was reported to police several times for providing him with the scooter.