E-scooter accidents explode: Bremen calls for helmet and strict controls!

E-scooter accidents explode: Bremen calls for helmet and strict controls!

Bremen, Deutschland - The popularity of the e-scooter grows in Germany and here in Bremen, where over 200,000 rental rollers are in use. But this increase not only brings joy, but also serious problems. According to the Weser-Kurier there was not only an increase in accidents in recent years Dramatic increase in seriously injured. From 2020 to 2024, the number of traffic accidents with e-scooters in Bremen rose to the highest number since these vehicles were introduced. A total of 212 accidents were registered in 2024, which corresponds to a leap in the injured person from 98 to 146

Particularly alarming: The number of seriously injured climbed from four to twelve. The most common injuries are serious head and facial injuries, which urgently alerts the doctors. They report cases with bleeding in the brain, skull base fractures and the notorious rib breaks. Many of those affected even had to be treated in the intensive care unit. A study by the Technical University of Munich shows that around 78% of the victims of the accident are men and 62% of those affected had consumed alcohol. The influence of alcohol is a worrying factor because it often leads to uncontrolled falls, especially at night and on weekends when the risks are highest.

alcohol and e-scooter: a dangerous mixture

Too many e-scooter drivers underestimate the dangers when driving under the influence of alcohol. In Rhineland-Palatinate, for example, another study shows that many drivers are affected and are often responsible for the accidents. As swr Aktuell is an alarming number of e-scooter accidents to be attributed to alcohol consumption. This problem is also evident in other regions, as well as in neighboring Austria, where the number of injured e-scooter drivers has quintupled since 2019. The average blood alcohol value of alcoholized drivers is often above the legal limit of 0.8 per thousand.

The clear message of the experts? A legal minimum age of 14 years for e-scooter drivers and the mandatory carrying out of an insurance badge are not enough. A helmet obligation would be an effective means of reducing the number of serious injuries, since the usefulness of carrying the helmet in Germany is currently extremely low. The Bremen police have already taken measures to control e-scooter drivers for alcohol and drug use, especially near discos. The checks have shown that many drivers are more driving and pose a danger to themselves and others.

protective measures and suggestions

In order to tackle this problem, accident researchers not only require a helmet obligation, but also that lending companies provide helmets and the availability of e-scooters is restricted in increased accident zones. In cities like Oslo, for example, there is already a driving ban for rental scooters between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. The experts agree that the search for solutions is urgently offered if you want to increase security for both e-scooter drivers and for all other road users.

Because the turnaround, which was originally supposed to go hand in hand with the entry of the e-scooters, is at stake. The increasing number of accidents cannot be ignored, and the risk caused by alcohol and lack of safety equipment is too high. The message must be clear: security is going on and not only when driving e-scooters. Anyone who is traveling with a scooter has to take responsibility - for themselves and for others. In Bremen, the situation is already dangerous, and it remains to be seen which measures those responsible will take to sustainably improve the safety in road traffic.