Unfortunate Trends in E-Scooter Mishaps: Late-Night, Weekends, and Imbibed Rides Causing Serious Injuries
E-scooter mishaps predominantly happen during the night, over weekends, and under the influence of alcohol.
Hop on a scooter in Germany? Be mindful of your schedule! Data reveals a disturbing pattern—the most serious e-scooter accidents occur predominantly at night, on weekends, and under the influence of alcohol. This alarming finding stemmed from a study by the Michael Zyskowski team at Technical University of Munich's Clinic and Polyclinic for Trauma Surgery, published in the "German Medical Journal."
Between 2020 and 2022, a whopping 538 individuals sustained severe injuries caused by e-scooters, with more than 83% necessitating intensive care. Shockingly, 26 lives were claimed in these incidents.
According to ntv.de and dpa, males dominated the victim statistics, with around 78% of the injured parties being male. Interestingly, the average age of those involved was 44.3 years, revealing that this risky behavior spans across multiple age groups, not just the young.
Nighttime, it seems, is particularly dangerous for e-scooter riders, with 54% of accidents occurring under the cover of darkness. Alternatively, incidents were most prevalent between noon and midnight, with 80% taking place between these hours. Notably, half of all cases took place on weekends, adding to the weekend hazardcycle.
What makes this trend even more troublesome is the frequent presence of alcohol. A staggering 62% of the blood samples from severely injured riders tested positive for alcohol, with nearly one-third surpassing legal limits.
While losing control due to inattention or single-handed driving was a frequent cause of accidents, particularly in Berlin studies, there's ongoing discussion around improving road safety, including potential regulatory measures involving helmets.
[1] Döpelheuer et al., "E-Scooter Accidents and Injuries: A First Analysis of the German Trauma Register Data," Archives of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, 2022.[2] ADAC, "E-Scooter Interim Report 2021," adac.de, 2021.[3] Tüv Süd, "E-Scooters: Safety and testing," tüv-süd.de, 2022.[4] DEKRA, "E-Scooters: Safety and testing," dekra.com, 2021.[5] Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, "E-scooters: New Regulations and Test Procedures," bmvit.gov.at, 2022.
- The Commission has also been consulted on issues relating to the increasing number of e-scooter accidents, including the concerns surrounding science in studying the causes and prevention methods, the impact on health-and-wellness and mental-health, potential general-news coverage, and the role of alcohol in these accidents.
- In light of the upward trend in e-scooter accidents and the associated injuries, it is crucial to focus not only on road safety but also on health and wellness, with a special emphasis on improving mental health, given the high percentage of accidents occurring under the influence of alcohol.
- As the investigation into e-scooter accidents continues, it is essential to address the alarming statistics in general-news outlets, including the high number of incidents at night, on weekends, and under the influence of alcohol, and the potential risk of accidents due to a lack of attention or improper handling, particularly in urban areas such as Berlin.
