More injuries in accidents involving e-scooters

In Saxony, more and more people are being injured in traffic accidents involving e-scooters. From January to August, the police in the Free State registered 134 e-scooter accidents in which people were injured, as the Ministry of the Interior announced in response to an inquiry. This corresponds to an increase of seven percent compared to the same period in 2024.

Two people killed

So far this year, two people have been killed in accidents, after there were no fatalities in 2024. At the end of March, a 41-year-old man died in Ebersbach (Görlitz district) after crashing his e-scooter into a post.

E-scooter riders are also frequently seriously injured, such as a 39-year-old man who left the road in the Niederhohndorf district of Zwickau in mid-September and crashed into a garden gate and a brick pillar. The man had to be treated in hospital.

In total, the number of e-scooter accidents in the Free State is slightly below the previous year's figure. By the end of August, there were 170 - eight fewer than in the same period in 2024. This is due to a decrease in cases involving pure property damage in the period up to the end of August to 36 (2024: 53).

Higher fines planned

The federal government introduced new rules for e-scooters last week. For example, the fine for driving on sidewalks is to be increased from 15 euros to 25 euros. A fine of 25 euros instead of 5 euros is to be imposed for driving with several people, which is not permitted. In addition, indicators will be mandatory on new e-scooters from 2027. The Federal Council has yet to approve the changes.

E-scooters have been permitted since 2019. No driving license or moped test certificate is required to ride them. You can ride your own scooter from the age of 14, rental devices are only available from the age of 18. Helmets are not compulsory, but the ADAC strongly recommends wearing a helmet. E-scooters are permitted on cycle paths, cycle lanes and in cycle lanes - they are only allowed on the road if there is no space on these paths.

Number of accidents increased nationwide

Accidents have become more frequent across Germany in recent years. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the number of scooter accidents across Germany in 2024 increased by more than a quarter year-on-year to almost 12,000, with 27 people losing their lives.