The number of e-scooter accidents resulting in injury or death continues to rise significantly. In 2025, the German police recorded 16,496 e-scooter accidents involving personal injury, representing a substantial increase of 38.1% compared to the previous year (which saw 11,944 such accidents). According to data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Thursday, a total of 38 people lost their lives in these incidents.
The rise in fatalities has been observed since 2024, when 27 individuals died in e-scooter accidents. Furthermore, the data shows that 1,895 people suffered serious injuries and 16,184 sustained minor injuries in 2025.
Of the injured parties, 14,936 (82.4%) were operating the e-scooter, 33 of whom were among the fatalities. Of those riding e-scooters, 822 (5.5%) were passengers. This figure contrasts notably with 2024, when only 508 (4.7%) individuals on e-scooters were passengers. Since regulations stipulate that e-scooters are designed for single occupancy, riding with a passenger is not permitted. Among the five additional fatalities not on an e-scooter, three were walking, one was cycling, and one was in a car.
While e-scooters continue to play a relatively minor role in the overall accident statistics, Destatis reported that in 2025, the police recorded 297,364 total traffic accidents involving personal injury. E-scooters were involved in only 5.5% of these cases, an increase from 4.1% in 2024.
This is a considerable difference when compared to bicycle accidents. In 2025, police recorded approximately 97,035 accidents involving cyclists nationwide, accounting for 32.6% of all personal injury accidents. Tragically, 462 people died while cycling. Additionally, 13,686 suffered serious injuries, and 83,345 sustained minor injuries.
Younger populations are particularly involved in e-scooter incidents. According to the statisticians, 53.6% of e-scooter riders involved in accidents in 2025 were under the age of 25, and 83.7% were under 45. Conversely, only 3.1% belonged to the 65-plus age group. For comparison, among victims of bicycle or Pedelec accidents, the proportion of individuals under 25 was significantly lower at 21.4%. Likewise, only 48.5% of bicycle/Pedelec accident victims were under 45, while a comparatively larger segment (20.9%) was 65 years or older. This disparity is likely attributed to the fact that younger people generally use e-scooters more frequently than older individuals.
Accident causes are rarely straightforward, as police frequently document multiple instances of misconduct. The most common violation among e-scooter riders, occurring 21.6% of the time, was incorrect use of the roadway or footpaths. Users are required to use bicycle pathways or bike lanes whenever available. Otherwise, they should use the road or side lanes, as riding on sidewalks is prohibited.
Road safety violations involving e-scooter riders were also frequently related to alcohol influence (10.9%). In the same period, this percentage was 7.7% for cyclists and 6.1% for license-free motorized vehicles like Mopeds, S-Pedelecs, and light motorcycles. The third most frequent violation noted by the police was failure to maintain appropriate speed (8.4%), followed by errors in turning, maneuvering, backing up, and starting/stopping (7.5%).
Of the 16,496 e-scooter accidents involving personal injury in 2025, 30.5% were single-vehicle incidents, meaning there was no other participant. Sixteen of the 33 fatalities from e-scooter accidents occurred in these single-vehicle incidents. Among the injured, 34.9% were involved in single-vehicle accidents.
Destatis also reported that a second road user was involved in 11,111 (67.4%) of the e-scooter accidents with personal injury. Most often, this second party was a car driver, accounting for 7,215 such incidents. In collisions involving cars, 50.5% of injured e-scooter users were hurt, and 6 died. By contrast, in 1,742 incidents involving cyclists, only 5.2% of injured e-scooter riders were hurt.
In accidents involving two parties, the e-scooter rider was held primarily responsible in 50.8% of cases. However, the culpability varied depending on the nature of the opposing vehicle: In collisions with a car (7,215 incidents), 38.1% of the e-scooter riders were held as the primary cause. When colliding with cyclists (1,742 incidents), this figure rose to 74.3%, and when colliding with a pedestrian (1,282 incidents), e-scooter riders were held as the primary cause in an even higher proportion, at 88.7%.
Accidents involving e-scooters are particularly common in major cities. In 2025, 49.1% of e-scooter accidents involving personal injury occurred in cities with at least 100,000 residents. The proportion was lower in cities with half a million residents or more (27.8%). Meanwhile, for Pedelec and non-motorized bicycle accidents, the incidence in large cities was 11.7% and 26.9%, respectively.
