First Reported E-Scooter Incident For 2026 Raises Saftey Concerns

Queensland Police Service (QPS) officials reported Mackay’s first e-scooter incident for 2026 in the early hours of Wednesday, the 8th of January after paramedics transported a stable female patient in her 30s to Mackay Hospital.

The woman suffered a head injury after falling from an e-scooter on Sydney Street and Shakespear Street at 1:05am, raising several safety concerns among the community.

Beam, a globally popular micromobility company, partnered with Mackay Regional Council in June of 2022 to introduce e-scooters to the area. Unveiled as a carbon-neutral, affordable and fun form of transportation, e-scooters can be hired seven days a week, 24 hours a day through a mobile application.

Once hired, a safety briefing is delivered to each rider, featuring instructions on how to park and ride safely. Other safety measures include strict speed limits in specific areas capped by onboard software, and automatic restrictions in no ride, no parking and slow zones as well as compulsory helmet technology. In instances where riders are found operating an e-scooter without a helmet, fines exceeding $160 apply.

The e-scooters are programmed to reach a maximum speed of approximately 20 to 25km/h, and automatically slow to 10 to 15km/h in slow zones pre-determined by geofencing technology.

In 2025, seven local e-scooter incidents were reported to emergency services.

On Monday, the 21st of April 2025, a woman in her 30s with significant head, abdominal and chest injuries was transported in a potentially life-threatening condition to Mackay Hospital following a vehicle and e-scooter incident on Kelleys Road at 6:04pm.

A stable female patient in her 30s with both a head and leg injury was transported to Mackay Hospital after an e-scooter incident on Stevenson Street at 5:36pm on Tuesday, the 6th of May, 2025.

On Saturday, the 21st of June 2025, a stable male patient in his 30s with a head injury was transported to Mackay Hospital following an e-scooter accident on Malcomson Street in North Mackay at 1:44am.

One stable male patient in his 30s with a hip injury was transported to Mackay Hospital following a vehicle and e-scooter incident on the corner of Bridge Road and Casey Avenue in South Mackay at 7:16pm on Thursday, the 31st of July 2025.

Paramedics transported a stable man in his 50s with head injuries to Mackay Hospital after falling from an e-scooter on Evan Street and Mcintyre Street in East Mackay just after 6am on Monday, the 6th of October, 2025.

A stable male patient in his teens with abdominal, head and arm injuries was transported to Mackay Hospital following an e-scooter incident on Victoria Street at 9pm on Friday, the 21st of November, 2025.

Earlier last month, on Sunday, the 7th of December, 2025, a stable female patient in her 30s with chest injuries was transported to Mackay Hospital after an e-scooter incident on Binnington Esplanade in East Mackay at 1:41am.

Although e-scooters are an efficient and environmentally friendly way to travel, thousands of serious injuries have been reported across the state in less than five years, and while all the incidents that occurred in Mackay in 2025 differ from one another, the safety concerns surrounding e-scooter usage are all the same.

Residents are advised to refer to the Queensland Government’s StreetSmarts website at streetssmarts.initiatives.qld.gov.au for a full run down on e-scooter safety.