The influence of alcohol is the most common cause of accidents among e-scooter drivers. Police and pedestrians sometimes complain vehemently about the city runabouts that were introduced a few years ago.
Cologne / Berlin – A couple of beers with friends in the evening and then home on the e-scooter: Drunk e-scooter drivers keep causing serious accidents.
A few days ago, the Cologne police branded the behavior of e-scooter drivers in the metropolis on the Rhine as “disastrous and uninhibited”. In one weekend alone, six people were seriously injured and ten others were slightly injured in accidents with the scooters – alcohol was involved in all seriously injured and four slightly injured.
Alcohol does not seem taboo for e-scooter drivers
It is also evident across Germany that alcohol does not seem to be taboo for many e-scooter drivers. According to the Federal Statistical Office, the influence of alcohol was the most common cause of accidents on e-scooters in 2020. In the case of accidents with injuries, the office counted 2355 misconduct among e-scooter users last year, 18.3 percent of which were driving under the influence of alcohol. By way of comparison: alcohol consumption only accounted for 7.1 percent of misconduct among cyclists.
Roland Stimpel, from the Fuss eV pedestrian association, also complains. He says that rental e-scooters are a particular problem. “According to our observation, they are often used illegally – in pairs, drunk, by children under 14, on sidewalks, squares and in parks. Young users in particular have fun doing pedestrian slalom. “
Only for a few years in the cityscape
E-scooters have only been shaping the picture in large cities for a few years. Many people also appreciate it as a way to whiz to work in the morning without having to struggle on a bike. However, the issue of alcohol threatens to become an image problem in view of accident reports and complaints from other road users. So does something have to change?
If you ask Lars Zemke, the chairman of the Federal Association of Small Electric Vehicles, he points out that the “sensitive issue of alcohol consumption” has only been thought through by the legislator halfway. “Yes, it is not acceptable to take part in road traffic under the influence of alcohol. But according to our observations, the alcohol limits were mostly based on the weight and speed of a vehicle, ”says Zemke.
Alcohol limits as for drivers
One thesis is: users perceive e-scooters more like a bicycle because of their appearance and weight. When it comes to alcohol consumption, the same alcohol limits apply to e-scooter drivers as to motorists. Means: Above 0.5 per mille, users commit an administrative offense. The alcohol limit for cyclists is significantly higher: Anyone caught with more than 1.6 alcohol is committing a criminal offense. However, if the cyclist rides inconspicuously and does not have an accident, he is allowed to cycle up to this limit value.
It is also documented accordingly if an accident occurs. “You have to be careful not to overestimate alcohol as a cause of accidents, because much higher limits apply on a bicycle and that wouldn’t be alcohol accidents,” says Siegfried Brockmann, head of accident research at the insurer.
However, the Shared Mobility platform, an association of e-scooter rental companies, supports the applicable limit values. “The providers took appropriate measures at an early stage in order to sensitize users and avoid driving under the influence of alcohol,” said Christoph Egels, spokesman for the micromobility specialist working group. According to the platform, the rental companies regularly organize driver safety training courses and integrate safety information on the responsible use of scooters in their apps.
Warn accident researchers
Accident researcher Brockmann warns against lapsing into hectic actionism when it comes to alcohol. “Alcohol is not the main source of accidents, even if it can be a cause of an accident.” Overall, the accident occurrence of scooters is very similar to that of bicycles: Driving in the wrong direction and using the wrong traffic areas. “Riding on the sidewalk is what users do when there is no cycle path.”
The figures of the past year are only partially meaningful. “Corona has a violent impact on the statistics. Most of the time, rental vehicles are on the streets, the main user group being tourists, ”says Brockmann. “And they have not happened in the last two years.” Dpa
