Call for e-scooter ban after man's death

Perth Now

11-08-2025

A Victorian coroner has called for authorities to consider banning the importation and sale of high speed e-scooters after investigating the death of a 28-year-old man.
Coroner Paul Lawrie made the recommendations while delivering his findings last week following an inquest into the death of Moustafa Aboueid in September 2022.
Mr Aboueid, a tow truck driver, was thrown from the motorised personal mobility device after hitting a speed bump along Cornwall Rd in Pascoe Vale the morning of September 22.
He was flung about 6m and hit the ground head first, suffering extensive skull fractures, and died in hospital a week later.
Probing the events surrounding the crash, Mr Lawrie found Mr Aboueid was riding a Kaabo Mantis e-scooter at 50-60km/h prior to losing control – more than twice the maximum legal top speed of 25km/h.
As part of the inquest, the coroner examined the laws surrounding the importation of e-scooters into Australia that are governed by the federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA). E-scooters have a 20km/h speed limit in Victoria. NewsWire / David Crosling Credit: News Corp Australia The coroner has called for police powers to seize e-scooters. Picture NewsWire / Ian Currie Credit: News Corp Australia
Mr Lawrie found importers of e-scooters could legally bring high-powered scooters into the country by claiming they were intended only for use on private property, not public roads.
The coroner described the framework as allowing 'effectively unfettered' importation by retailers, now matter how powerful the device.
'A simple internet search reveals models for sale with advertised top speeds faster than 110km/h – that is, faster than the highest speed limit in Victoria,' Mr Lawrie wrote.
'The advertising for these models includes enticements such as, ' … at a speed faster than a lightning bolt on a caffeine high'.'
Mr Laurie described the notion that e-scooters were being imported solely for use on private land as 'fanciful' and noted that DITRDCA had 'ignored the reality of their actual use'.
'The failure to properly regulate the importation of these devices leaves Victoria, like other states and territories, to wrestle with the problem once they are on our roads,' he said.
'Outside of established special use cases, there can be no justification for models easily capable of exceeding the speed limit in most residential streets, let alone models capable of travelling at highway speeds.' A trial of hire e-scooters in Melbourne's CBD ended last year. NewsWire / David Crosling Credit: News Corp Australia
The coroner called for DITRDCA to consider a ban on the importation and sale of high-speed or high-power e-scooters, save for individual exemptions where a proper use can be established.
He further called for the Victorian government to introduce legislation to allow police to seize offending devices if used on public roads.