Australia has seen strong growth in e-scooter numbers over the last five years. Over 300,000 of the two-wheeled micro-mobility devices are estimated to have been sold to private owners, and thousands more are being used in share schemes. The number of e-scooter riders is expected to grow to over 3 million within the next five years. As e-scooter use increases, so too do accidents involving e-scooters. In Queensland, the speed limit on footpaths was reduced from 25km/h to 12 km/h in 2022 after higher numbers of hospital presentations due to severe injuries; higher numbers of injuries have been seen in a number of jurisdictions. The growth in e-scooter use (and associated increase in accidents and injury) has placed pressure on governments to introduce regulations that permit the legal use of e-scooters, in contrast to the previous undefined regulatory environment.
In this edition of Motor Injury Insights we dive into how Australian states and territories are responding with regulation regarding e-scooters, the insurance coverage gaps across public liability, home and contents and CTP, and how overseas counterparts in Norway, Japan, Ireland and UK are approaching insurance. We share the “Finity view” on e-scooters, the challenges for insurers, key issues that need to be addressed and what will be important to focus on moving forward.
In this edition of Motor Injury Insights, we also cover:
CTP insurance claim frequency trends over the last five years; what was the impact of COVID19, sustained lockdowns and the resultant reduction in drivers on the road? Does the road toll correlate with claims frequency? Will there be a change once 2022/23 data becomes available?
Australia and New Zealand government monopoly scheme funding ratios over the last three years – what is the impact of higher discount rates?
Our regular jurisdiction roundup – covering off the motor injury insurance issues of interest across the states and territories of Australia.
- Insurance premium movements
- Insurance market share changes
- News from the state regulators
- Legislative change regarding insurance