More accidents with e-scooters recorded in Germany

Young people are more often involved in accidents with e-scooters in Germany than any other group, with some 42% of e-scooter riders who had accidents last year younger than 25 years old, the Federal Statistical Office said on Friday, reported dpa.

Approximately 80% of the accident victims were younger than 45 years old, the office said.

Overall, the police registered 9,425 e-scooter accidents with personal injury in Germany in 2023, 14.1% more than the previous year when there were 8,260 accidents. The number of fatalities following accidents doubled to 22 people from 11 fatalities in 2022.

In 2023, 1,220 people were seriously injured and 8,911 slightly injured. The vast majority, or 83%, of those injured were riding the e-scooter themselves, including 21 of the 22 fatalities.

According to the statisticians, a particularly high number of accidents occur in large cities, with some 60% of all e-scooter accidents recorded in cities with at least 100,000 inhabitants.

The Federal Statistical Office identified the most common reasons for these incidents as improper use of the road or pavement and riding under the influence of alcohol.

Accidents caused by carelessly parked e-scooters were not included in these figures. In some cities, parking is now only permitted in designated collection zones.