Swiss road safety group warns of e-scooter dangers

Between 2019 and 2023, 400 e-scooter riders were seriously injured and seven lost their lives in Switzerland. Keystone-SDA

Accidents involving electric scooters often result in injuries to the head, face or upper body, the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention BFU has warned. Riders frequently go without helmets and alcohol is the most frequent cause of accidents.

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Between 2019 and 2023, 400 e-scooter riders were seriously injured and seven lost their lives, the BFU said on Tuesday. Three-quarters of accidents involved individuals.

Collisions were most often due to failure to give way. In almost half of these cases, the e-scooter rider did not respect Swiss right-of-way rules.

More than three-quarters (77%) of the victims of serious accidents were men. E-scooters are mainly used by young people and men, according to the BFU.

Alcohol and speed

The road safety organisation urges riders of e-scooters to refrain from consuming alcohol before using them. Even a small amount of alcohol is enough to impair driving ability, it says.

According to a BFU study, alcohol consumption is the cause of 39% of personal accidents. This is followed by “inattention and distraction” (20%) and “speed” (9%).

The higher the speed of the scooter, the greater the risk of falling and the more serious the injuries are likely to be, adds the BFU. The e-scooters approved for use on Swiss roads can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h.

+ Why are there so many traffic accidents these days?

The BFU also points out that e-scooters are subject to the same rules as slow-moving electric bicycles, i.e. lights must be switched on even during the day, cycle paths and lanes must be used and pavements may only be used if this is also permitted for bicycles.

Translated from German by DeepL/sb

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