E-scooter accidents in Austria: record numbers and urgent need for action!

E-scooter accidents in Austria: record numbers and urgent need for action!

Wien, Österreich - The number of injuries from E-Scooter accidents in Austria achieved a worrying amount in 2024. According to current data from the Board of Trustees (KFV), 7,500 people had to be treated in the hospital after e-scooter accidents, which corresponds to an increase of 25 percent compared to the previous year. This number reflects a dramatic increase of 625 percent since 2019 when only 1,200 injuries were counted. However, the growing popularity of the e-scooter also brings an alarming problem with it: More and more accidents are due to alcohol or drugs, as orf.at reported.

already 12 percent of the injured Ecooter drivers were alcoholic, and in the first three quarters in 2024 this value rose to 16 percent. It is particularly worrying that more than 90 percent of alcoholized e-scooter drivers were traveling with a blood alcohol content of over 1.0 per thousand. These behaviors, combined with the high number of unreported cases in injuries, make an extended need for action clear in order to increase safety on the streets. The KFV therefore calls for a general helmet obligation for all e-scooter drivers and a reduction in maximum speed at 20 km/h. Currently, only about 9 percent of e-scooter users have a helmet, which, according to a survey, is also considered necessary by 70 percent of the population, such as kfv.at Notice.

security measures urgently required