A four-fold increase in electric scooter accidents over the past two years, has been reported by The Vias Institute.
On 1st July, a year since introducing new regulations for e-scooters, the Institute highlighted the accident types experiencing the highest increases.
At the top, intersection collisions represented 29% of all incidents. These primarily resulted from poor visibility between scooter riders and car drivers.
Partygoers prone to E-scooter accidents
Other accidents included single party incidents (23%), cases involving pedestrian crossings (11%), and collisions with pedestrians and cyclists (9%). Around 4% of accidents were attributed to sudden car door openings surprising scooter users.
Vias also observed that 13% of accidents were tied to user behaviour during nightlife activities. The Institute warned about the risk of users losing control of their scooters under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
In a bid to reduce serious injuries — common despite infrequent helmet usage — the Institute recommended compulsory helmet rules.
Minister of Mobility Georges Gilkinet, recently emphasized the need for continued vigilance towards e-scooter safety, stating, “If necessary, we will not hesitate to strengthen the road safety rules concerning them.”
