Rising accident rates and fatalities with e-scooter riders in Germany.
The number of e-scooter accidents in Germany continues to climb, with police reporting 9,425 incidents involving injuries in 2023, a 14 percent increase from the previous year. More alarmingly, fatalities doubled from 11 in 2022 to 22 in 2023. Additionally, about 1,200 people were seriously injured, while nearly 9,000 suffered minor injuries.
Young riders disproportionately affected
Statistics reveal that younger individuals are particularly vulnerable to e-scooter accidents. According to the Federal Statistical Office, approximately 42 percent of injured riders in the past year were under 25 years old. Moreover, about 80 percent of accident victims were younger than 45, while only slightly over 3 percent were older than 65.
Urban centers as accident hotspots
The majority of e-scooter accidents occur in large cities with populations exceeding 100,000. Police data shows that around 60 percent of all e-scooter accidents were registered in these urban areas, while the remaining 40 percent took place in medium-sized and small towns and communities.
Common causes and collision patterns
The Federal Statistical Office cited improper use of roads or sidewalks and driving under the influence of alcohol as the most frequent causes of accidents. Approximately one-third of the accidents involved no other traffic participants. In cases where other vehicles were involved, cars were the most common counterparts, with nearly half of the injured e-scooter users hurt in collisions with automobiles.
It’s worth noting that these statistics do not include accidents caused by carelessly parked e-scooters, an issue that has prompted some cities to restrict parking to designated areas only.
Despite the increasing numbers, e-scooters still play a relatively minor role in overall accident statistics. In 2023, police recorded nearly 292,000 accidents resulting in injuries or fatalities across all modes of transport. E-scooters were involved in just over 3 percent of these incidents, while bicycles were involved in nearly one-third.
