An observational study of electric scooter riding in central Brisbane has found nearly half of shared e-scooters were being ridden illegally.

The research has identified the need to ensure that helmets were available for shared e-scooter riders, and called for further research into whether bicycle helmet standards are adequate for e-scooters.

Professor Narelle Haworth, from QUT’s Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety — Queensland (CARRS-Q), has published the results of the study in The Medical Journal of Australia.

In the study, the researchers counted passing scooters and bicycles at six locations around central Brisbane for four days and for six hours a day.

The researchers recorded 785 e-scooters, 90 per cent of which were Lime shared scooters and 10 percent were private scooters.

Of the e-scooters observed during the four days, 45 per cent were being ridden illegally because either the rider was not wearing a helmet properly, riding on the road or carrying a passenger.

Story Source: Materials provided by Queensland University of Technology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.