The number of e-scooter drivers keeps increasing. But the list of misconduct is long, according to evaluations by the Board of Trustees for Road Safety (KFV). 98 percent do not blink or give a hand signal, 15 percent drive despite the ban on the sidewalk and every eighth person in the KFV observations even drove over the traffic light when it was red. The risk of injury is correspondingly high: last year were 3,600 people injured in accidents with the devices.
Only 2 percent of users blink or give a hand signal when turning, according to the KFV. One reason for this might be that giving hand signals, especially with lightweight models, requires much more skill than with bicycles. In addition, the equipment of e-scooters with turn signals is not mandatory, explained the KFV traffic expert Ernestine Mayer at a media event on Tuesday in Vienna.
Helmet wearing rate at 17 percent
“People with e-scooters without indicators should give the hand signal, practice in the protected area and slow down – especially when approaching intersections. When buying a new car, switching to models with indicators, 2 brakes and a horn or bell is highly recommended – also to be prepared for any future changes in the law,” said Klaus Robatsch, Head of Traffic Safety at KFV. Vienna is a pioneer here. For rental e-scooters, this equipment will be available from next Monday 1st May, already prescribed.
According to the KFV, the helmet wearing rate is unfortunately low 17 percent and for rental e-scooters even only one percent. “The risk of skull/brain injuries in an accident without a helmet is 11 times higher than with a helmet, as we know from comparable studies with e-bikes,” said Mayer. “Our minimum requirement for the legislature is the introduction of a helmet requirement for all e-scooters or the reduction of the maximum permissible speed,” affirmed Robatsch and appealed to the common sense of those affected: “Please wear a helmet voluntarily and note that you are already in quite a few situations – eg in the area of intersections, on wet roads, in encounter zones – much slower than 25 km/h have to drive.”
75 percent of accidents are caused by e-scooter drivers
In June and July 2022, NAST Consulting measured the speeds of freely moving e-scooters in Vienna’s traffic on behalf of the KFV. A total of 1,017 e-scooters were surveyed at more than 20 trade fair locations in Vienna. “The average speed of e-scooters in 2022 compared to 2019 from 15 to 18 km/h gone up. In pedestrian zones the average was 16 km/halthough only 5 km/h are allowed and even sidewalks were averaged with 12 km/h drive on, although there is a complete driving ban there,” reported the traffic expert.
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© EPA/YOAN VALAT
66 percent of all injured e-scooter drivers die in a single-vehicle accident and 25 percent have a vehicle as an accident opponent, being even 75 percent of all accidents are caused by the e-scooter drivers themselves. The main causes of accidents are the misjudgment of the ground conditions as well as carelessness and distraction, the KFV reported. 23 percent of the injured e-scooter drivers also have an accident on the pedestrian infrastructure, where they are not allowed to drive according to the road traffic regulations.
