In Western Australia, the clock of the law runs slower than the wheels of the machines. A year has gone by since families buried people killed on e-scooters, yet the State Government continues to sit on its hands. Officials started an inquiry into these battery-run vehicles in mid-2025, but the rules for how fast they go or where they belong remain messy and old.
"More than a year on, she is disappointed rules around e-rideables have not been tightened." — Brooke Lane on her brother's death.
The friction between fast technology and slow bureaucracy has left families like those of Thanh Phan and Brooke Lane’s brother in a state of stagnant grief. While the government says safety is a "priority," the reality on the pavement is a mix of high-speed foot-path riding and little oversight. The gap between a death and a new law is currently measured in years, not months.
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The Mechanics of Delay
The push for new rules is stuck in the gears of a parliamentary committee. Since June 2025, this group has been tasked with looking at how these devices hit the road.
The committee looks at Night-time Curfews to stop late-night crashes.
They are weighing up a total ban on footpaths to keep walkers safe from fast machines.
Rental companies are being watched to see if their hire-agreements are too loose.
Peter Rundle and other critics claim the state is dragging its feet while more riders fall.
| Name | Location | Outcome | Rule Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thanh Phan | Perth CBD | Fatal Collision | Under Inquiry |
| Unnamed Brother | WA | Fall from Scooter | No Change |
| Rico Roundtree | Florida, USA | E-Bike Crash | Local Mourning |
| Unnamed Man | Sydney | E-Bike Accident | No Change |
| Unnamed Man | Mornington | E-Bike Fatality | No Change |
The Battery and the Street
Beyond the crashes, the hardware itself is proving volatile. In Sydney, faulty Lithium Batteries have caused apartment fires and forced people from their homes. This adds a layer of gear-failure to the existing problem of rider-error. The Inquiry is supposed to cover these fires, but the focus remains scattered between city pavements and suburban fire risks.
Background: A Pattern of Thuds
The problem is not local to Perth. Across Australia and as far as Jupiter, Florida, the story is the same: a sudden thud, a funeral, and then a long silence from the people who write the books of law.
May 2025: Thanh Phan dies three days after hitting his head in Perth.
March 2025: Rico Roundtree, a 17-year-old athlete, is killed on an e-bike in Florida.
Mid-2025: Multiple deaths in Sydney and Victoria highlight that e-bikes and e-scooters are killing people across the map.
Government investigations usually follow a "tragedy-then-talk" pattern. The families now argue that the talk has gone on long enough, while the scooters keep humming on the footpaths at speeds the old laws never expected.
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