The number of accidents involving electric scooters resulting in injury or fatalities has continued to rise.
In 2024, German police recorded 11,944 electric scooter accidents involving personal injury, a 26.7 percent increase compared to the previous year (9,425 accidents). Tragically, 27 people lost their lives in these accidents, up from 22 in 2023, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). A total of 1,513 individuals sustained serious injuries, while 11,433 suffered minor injuries.
The vast majority of those involved in the accidents, 10,886 or 83.9 percent, were riding the electric scooters themselves, including all 27 fatalities. Additionally, 508, or 4.7 percent of those involved, were passengers on electric scooters, a notable increase from 328, or 3.9 percent, in 2023. German traffic laws restrict electric scooter use to a single rider.
While electric scooters represent a relatively small proportion of all accidents involving personal injury – contributing to 4.1 percent of the 290,701 recorded in 2024, a rise from 3.2 percent in 2023 – their involvement is nonetheless concerning. This figure pales in comparison to bicycle accidents, which accounted for 32.1 percent of all accidents involving personal injury, with 93,279 recorded incidents in 2024.
Young people are disproportionately involved in electric scooter accidents. In 2024, 48.6 percent of those involved were under the age of 25 and 82.0 percent were under 45. This contrasts with bicycle accident victims, where the proportion of under-25s was significantly lower at 21.4 percent.
Analysis of accident causes reveals several contributing factors. Improper use of roadways or sidewalks was the most common violation, accounting for 21.2 percent of incidents. Electric scooter operators are required to use bike paths or designated lanes where available, otherwise using roads or shoulders. Riding under the influence of alcohol (12.4 percent) was also frequently observed, higher than for cyclists (7.8 percent) and other similar vehicles. Excessive speed and failure to yield the right-of-way were also significant factors.
A substantial portion – 31.4 percent – of the accidents in 2024 were single-vehicle incidents. Of the 27 fatalities, 14 occurred in single-vehicle accidents. In incidents involving another vehicle, motorists were involved in 5,302 accidents, resulting in injuries to 50.5 percent of the involved scooter riders and seven fatalities.
In accidents where the e-scooter rider was at fault, this was the case in 47.6% of incidents. This figure varies depending on the type of vehicle involved in the accident. When colliding with passenger vehicles, e-scooter riders were the primary cause in only 35.2% of cases. However, when colliding with cyclists, the riders were responsible in 72.7% of cases and with pedestrians in a striking 87.7% of accidents.
Accidents involving electric scooters are particularly prevalent in urban areas. In 2024, 53.7 percent of accidents with personal injury occurred in cities with at least 100,000 residents and 30.9 percent in cities with a population of at least 500,000.