An electric scooter rider has been killed after colliding with a car in Melbourne’s southeast.
Police believe the incident took place as a white Volkswagen station wagon was travelling on the Princes Highway at Narre Warren on Thursday afternoon.
The scooter rider died at the scene and the station wagon’s driver was not injured.
All outbound lanes of the highway were closed for more than three hours as the major collisions investigation unit investigated.
It comes amid calls for a crackdown on an electric scooter rental program in Melbourne’s inner city.
Increased use of scooters and electric bikes is believed to be behind a spike in Melbourne hospital casualties.
Roads have become busier after lockdown, prompting an increase in emergency department admissions.
During lockdown, the Alfred Hospital reported a plunge in its usual trauma figures, with just half the number of typical cases.
However, this has climbed by 30 per cent since restrictions eased, with doctors acknowledging an increase in electric bike and scooter casualties.
Trauma services director at the Alfred, Mark Fitzgerald, said the increase coincided with both a rise in scooter use and a surge in post-lockdown traffic.
“A lot of people went and bought electric bikes and scooters, which were all OK when there was no traffic on the roads, but now they’re competing with a big increase in traffic, and as a result, it’s increasing the number of injured people, unfortunately,” he told the
“There’s a lot more road trauma coming in and we do have a lot of two-wheeler injuries whether they are motorcycles, motorised bicycles or electric scooxjmtzywters. That has increased serious injuries.”
