The number of fatalities from E-Scooters doubled in 2023.
The number of deaths in E-Scooter accidents is rising rapidly, increasing almost 300 percent in the past four years. There were nearly 9,500 injured in 2023.
In Germany, 22 people died in E-Scooter accidents in the past year, more than double the number from the previous year. In 2020, there were only five deaths. According to data from the Federal Statistical Office, all but one of the fatalities occurred while the victims were operating the E-Scooters themselves. The number of E-Scooter accidents resulting in injuries therefore increased by 14 percent to 9,425. Of these, 1,220 were severe injuries.
Approximately one-third of the accidents involved no other traffic participants. Nearly half of the injured E-Scooter users were hurt in collisions with cars, according to the report. In these collisions, however, only about 5 percent of E-Scooter users were injured.
The injured were mostly young - 41.6 percent were under 25 years old. Fewer than 80 percent were under 45 years old. Only 3.4 percent were over 65, according to statisticians. The proportion of injuries involving bicycles or pedelecs was much higher at 19.6 percent.
Overall, E-Scooters play a relatively minor role in accidents, as stated further. In 2023, the police recorded a total of 291,890 accidents in which people were injured or killed. Only 3.2 percent of these involved an E-Scooter, according to the Federal Statistical Office. The much larger share was made up by cyclists: about one-third. 446 cyclists died in Germany in 2023 in accidents.
After the release of these numbers, insurers spoke out against the idea of allowing E-Scooters on some sidewalks. "Instead of making the problem with E-Scooters worse, bike and sidewalks should be kept strictly separate," explained Jörg Asmussen, CEO of the German Insurance Association.
Germany also reported an international trend with an increase in traffic accidents involving E-Scooters. According to a recent international report, Germany is not an exception, as traffic accidents involving E-Scooters have seen a significant rise in several countries.
Despite the growing number of injuries and fatalities in traffic accidents related to E-Scooters in Germany, the country is participating in a global study to explore safer E-Scooter usage, with partnerships from various international entities.
