According to a report from news channel ČT24, the number of accidents involving electric scooters in the Czech Republic continues to rise. By the end of July 2024, the number of incidents has increased by 15 per cent compared to the previous year, with two accidents proving fatal. Many of these accidents occurred in the early months of the year, which the police attribute to the unusually early warm weather.
Most accidents occur during the summer months, but the early warming this year has led to a sharp increase in incidents compared to the previous year. In Prague, authorities are attempting to reduce the number of accidents through regular inspections and targeted actions against scooter riders.
While in Brno the number of traffic offences involving electric scooters has decreased by about 15 per cent, the situation remains tense. According to Brno police spokesperson Markéta Skřiváňková, common violations include riding on pavements, ignoring no-parking signs, and riding under the influence of alcohol.
The number of injuries, particularly involving electric scooters, is concerning. Both fatal accidents this year involved electric scooters. A tragic trend is also evident among cyclists: since the beginning of the year, 30 cyclists have lost their lives, six more than in the same period last year. Severe head injuries were the leading cause of these fatalities, prompting medical professionals to strongly recommend wearing helmets.
A particular issue is that riders of electric scooters and bicycles are often responsible for the accidents. Cyclists are responsible for about two-thirds of the collisions they are involved in, while e-scooter riders are at fault in 81 per cent of cases.
As speeds increase, so do the injuries, which is why more powerful scooters have been subject to insurance requirements since April this year. So far, over 27,000 of these vehicles have been registered with insurers. Additionally, electric scooters that travel faster than 25 km/h are required to have helmet laws. Although the speed of shared scooters in cities is limited to this value, wearing a helmet remains crucial, as falls can still be fatal even at low speeds.
