E-SCOOTERS: PROVISIONAL ACCIDENT FIGURES RELEASED

[IN MAY the Department for Transport published a factsheet of provisional data on the number and severity of collisions involving e-scooters and consequent casualties.

E-scooter users, the DfT says, comprise one of the most vulnerable user groups. They are not protected by a vehicle body in the same way car users are and tend to be harder for drivers to see on the road. They are, therefore, particularly susceptible to injuries.

The factsheet is based on provisional data supplied by police forces up to 5 May this year. No estimation is made for any missing data, so the provisional estimates are likely to slightly underestimate the final number of e-scooter collisions and casualties for the year. Final figures and underlying data are due to be published in September.

The provisional data shows that, in 2022, there were 1,369 collisions involving e-scooters, compared to 1,352 in 2021. Of those, 342 included only one e-scooter with no other vehicles involved in the collision, compared to 324 in 2021. There were 1,458 casualties, compared to 1,434 in 2021: 1,117 were the e-scooter users, compared to 1,102 in 2021.

There were 12 people killed in collisions involving e-scooters, 11 of whom were e-scooter riders.

In terms of severity of injury, the best estimate, after adjusting for changes in reporting by police, is that there were 421 seriously injured and 1,025 slightly injured in collisions involving e-scooters. That compares to 418 and 1,006 respectively in 2021.

However, the DfT concedes: “It should be noted that a considerable percentage of non-fatal casualties are not reported to the police. Nonfatal casualties for e-scooter users are amongst the most likely to be under-reported in road casualty data since they have no obligation to inform the police of collisions. This should be borne in mind when analysing and interpreting the data.” q