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10 Electric Scooter Accident Statistics in The UK: 2023 Update
Pete Ortiz
Last updated:
An electric scooter, commonly referred to as the e-scooter, is a portable mode of powered vehicle that’s designed to accommodate only one person. The motor feature is what distinguishes it from your regular scooter, meaning it doesn’t rely on the rider’s energy to move from point A to B.
E-scooters are great, but the injuries incurred in the event of an accident are often severe. You see, higher driving speeds normally translate to higher collision speeds, because there’s always less time for the rider to process what’s about to happen. And even if they somehow do, acting on it before it’s too late is virtually impossible.
If you’d like to assess the relative safety of this emerging mode of transport, we’re hopeful that the following facts and statistics will give you an insight into what’s been going on behind the scenes.
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Electric Scooter Accident Statistics
1. E-Scooter Users Have a 0.66 Crash Rate
(Highways News)
When you compare the casualty rate among users who fully rely on e-scooters to that of bus drivers, motorcyclists, and pedal cyclists, you’ll learn that not many lives are being lost to this mode of transport. Motorbikes have a crash rate of 5.88 collisions for every million-mile covered. Bicycle riders recently recorded 3.33 while buses had 1.52. These numbers are large in comparison to the 0.66 e-scooter crash rates, calculated by the Department of Transport.
Image Credit: icsilviu, Pixabay
2. Privately-Owned E-Scooter Incident Reports Were 94% Higher
(RoSPA)
E-scooter rental schemes have been set up in different parts of the country to encourage more people to adopt this motorized mode of transport. The other reason why the schemes were established was to assess the vehicle’s safety.
According to the data collected, the number of incidents that occurred in areas that have rental schemes was lower than those that occurred in areas that lacked any scheme. Meaning, unregulated operators rarely exercise caution while riding on our public roads. And this could also be the reason why the government is apprehensive about passing laws that allow private e-scooters to ride their vehicles on public roads.
3. 61% of Accidents Happened Between 6 am and 5 pm
(Telegraph)
But most of them occurred in the afternoon. There are several factors that contribute to these afternoon incidents, including teens leaving school to get home early to do their homework, aggressive driving from those looking to beat traffic, physical exhaustion after a hard day at work, and distractions such as texts or phone calls.
Accidents that occurred after 5 pm were mostly caused by intoxicated drivers.
Image Credit: Andrey_Popov, Shuterstock
4. Only 13% of E-Scooter Collision Incidents Involve Pedestrians
(RoSPA)
Pedestrians have always been perceived as the most vulnerable group when it comes to motorized transport because they are often unprotected and have less time to react. Fortunately for them, this new technology doesn’t seem to affect them that much, as only 13% of the recently recorded e-scooter collisions involved persons on foot.
If you compare that to the 79% contributed by powered vehicles such as buses, lorries, and motorcycles, you’ll feel a lot safer around these electric motorized vehicles.
Number of Casualties & Type of Injury
5. This Year’s E-Scooter Casualty Number Stands at 1,434
(Smart Transport)
While the rate of collisions remains low in comparison to other vehicles, the year-to-year figures keep on rising. Part of the reason why that is, is because the UK government recently made it legal to buy e-scooters in the country. The sales have skyrocketed, with some retailers enjoying a 90% increase. It has been speculated that there are currently about 360,000 riders in Great Britain.
Image Credit: Surprising_Shots, Pixabay
6. 77% of the Casualties Were Young and Mid-Life Adult Males
(PACTS)
There are so many studies out there that have established that men are more likely to be involved in car accidents than women. And it’s because men are more likely to commit traffic offenses. Sadly, the same holds true for the e-scooter community. If the recent reports are anything to go by, we found out that 77% of casualties were men between the ages of 16 and 45.
Now, some people might argue that it could be because fewer women have embraced e-scooter technology, but the same arguments were also made in the 70s when most cars were being driven by men. Not much has changed since then, other than the fact that the male fatality numbers have slightly reduced.
7. 2020 Had the Lowest Number of Casualties at 484
(Smart Transport)
This will certainly be attributed to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) since most people were either working or schooling from home in 2020. But even though the Department of Transport hasn’t updated its database in a while, we’re fairly certain that those numbers shot up the following year. And the situation will worsen now that there’s nothing illegal about owning an e-scooter.
Image Credit: Surprising_Shots, Pixabay
8. Lacerations Are the Most Common Type of Injury
(Department Of Transport)
These are wounds caused by sharp objects. And we have three types of lacerations, depending on how the damage was caused. If a nail inadvertently punctured your skin, we’ll call that a puncture wound. But if a sharp knife or scalpel got in and then got out, that laceration will be classified as a penetrating wound. The final type is the gunshot wound, which is largely irrelevant to this topic.
Most e-scooter casualties suffered lacerations that were not severe. The most severe injuries included ankle and foot fractures, broken backs, fractured pelvis, and internal bleeding.
Accident-Prone Areas
9. Single-Carriageways accounted for 72% of Incidents
(RoSPA)
This doesn’t really come as a surprise, seeing as most of the single carriageways in the country are not segregated. The UK is one of the few countries where you’ll find buses, trucks, cars, motorcycles, and bicycle riders, using the same space to move around. Towns that had dual carriageways only reported a 10% incidence.
Image Credit: Surprising_Shots, Pixabay
10. 5% Of Accidents Occurred at Roundabouts
(Highways News)
Roundabouts are usually designed to facilitate a seamless and continuous flow of traffic. But most accidents happen around these places because drivers and riders don’t understand the basic rules for navigating these intersections. Hesitation, confusion, and reckless driving have always been listed as the common causes of accidents that happen at the roundabout. But the good news is, the crash rate is not as high as those registered in other sections.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Often Causes Electric Scooter Accidents?
The alleged causes of accidents usually vary. However, if you go through several of the publicly available incident reports, you’ll realize that half of the time it’s the rider’s fault that the accident happened. They were either intoxicated, texting, on a phone call, not observing traffic laws, or riding on footpaths. That’s another reason why most of those incidents only involved riders and nobody else.
Image Credit: icsilviu, Pixabay
How Safe Are E-Scooters?
These motorized vehicles are safer than bicycles for sure. And this can be backed by the yearly accident statistics. The number of e-scooter accidents per million miles is and has always been significantly lower than that of the bicycle. And one of the contributing factors to this is the fact that scooters have lower riding speeds.
“Lower speeds” means the rider will have more time to process any information on a collision that’s about to happen and act on it before it’s too late. Even if the scooter malfunctions without the rider’s knowledge, the chances of them finding themselves in a fatal situation is still lower than that of a bicycle.
Image Credit: Surprising_Shots, Pixabay
What Are the Penalties for Common E-Scooter Offenses?
As an e-scooter rider, you have to have a license with you at all times. If you’re caught without one, or if for some reason you have the wrong one, you’ll be given three to six penalty points, in addition to being fined £100. Having insurance is also paramount, seeing as it can earn you six penalty points, and a 300-pound fine.
Riding on the pavement, using a mobile phone, and not observing the traffic lights are also punishable offenses. You’ll be fined, £50, £200, and £100, respectively. If you were inebriated during any one of those encounters, you’ll be treated the same way they treat drunk drivers. You’ll either be fined, banned from ever riding an e-scooter, or imprisoned.
Remember to wear a helmet every time you go out on an e-scooter. And not just any other helmet, but the right one. Just because these vehicles look harmless doesn’t mean that the injuries aren’t severe.
Hopefully, the above statistics have given you some insights into electric scooter accidents in the UK and helped you decide whether it’s the right mode of transport for your needs.
Featured Image Credit: Studio Romantic, Shutterstock
Contents
Writer
Pete Ortiz
Pete has been working in the trades since high school, where he first developed a passion for woodworking. Over the years, he has developed a keen interest in a wide variety of DIY projects around the home. Fascinated by all sort of tools, Pete loves reading and writing about all the latest gadgets and accessories that hit the market. His other interests include astronomy, hiking, and fishing.
As the founder of House Grail, Pete's primary goal is to help consumers make educated decisions about DIY projects at home, in the garage, and in the garden.
