Injuries linked to electric scooters in Alberta have climbed to a four-year high, according to Alberta Health Services, raising fresh concern about the safety of the increasingly popular devices. The figures point to a steady rise in the number of people ending up in hospital after incidents involving e-scooters across the province's two largest cities.
AHS said that between April 1 of last year and February 2026, there were 1,136 hospital visits for e-scooter injuries in Calgary alone, and just under 1,200 in Edmonton. Taken together with the rest of the province, the total surpassed 3,000 visits, a number that marks the highest level recorded over a four-year span and underscores how common these injuries have become.
The upward trend is not limited to adults. The increase can also be seen at children's hospitals, where Calgary's Alberta Children's Hospital recorded 132 visits over the same time frame and the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton recorded 136. Both of those figures are also four-year highs, a sign that young people are increasingly among those getting hurt.
Health officials warn that it is not only the volume of injuries that is rising, but also their seriousness. The injury severity is going up alongside the raw numbers, and authorities have stressed that children in particular are being harmed while riding the devices, a combination that has heightened alarm among medical staff who treat these cases.
According to a University of Alberta emergency medicine professor, most of the injuries that come through the doors involve the head. Head injuries are among the most dangerous outcomes of any fall or collision, and their prevalence in e-scooter cases has reinforced calls for riders to take basic precautions such as wearing helmets when using the devices.
A particular source of concern is the sight of very young children on the scooters. Officials noted that a small percentage of the rides involve a small child sharing a single e-scooter with an adult. The professor said medical staff are shocked when they see a two or three year old with no helmet seated on one of the devices, exposed to the same risks as the adult operating it.
Faced with these numbers, the University of Alberta professor, identified as Dr. Rose, argued that all levels of government share a responsibility to enforce laws that make e-scooters safer. The message points toward stronger oversight and clearer rules as the devices continue to spread, with the goal of curbing a trend that is sending growing numbers of Albertans, including children, to the hospital.