Intoxicated riders and private scooters behind fatal e-scooter crashes

Serious accidents involving e-scooters have surged in Sweden, with a new study highlighting concerning patterns in these incidents. In 2025 alone, seven people died and over 6,600 were injured in e-scooter related accidents. Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology and the Swedish Transport Administration analyzed 204 fatal accidents involving e-scooters, e-bikes, and regular bicycles between 2016 and 2024.

The study revealed that the most severe e-scooter accidents typically happen at night and often involve riders who are under the influence of alcohol. A significant finding was that a large proportion of fatal accidents involved privately owned e-scooters, contrary to the public debate which often focuses on rental scooters. "Since so many are rented out, we thought the statistics would show more deaths on a rented e-scooter. But it was the opposite," stated Marco Dozza, a professor at Chalmers.

Another notable observation was the extremely low rate of helmet use among those who died in accidents, regardless of the vehicle type. Furthermore, 44 percent of fatally injured e-scooter riders were found to be under the influence of alcohol, compared to 27 percent for e-bikes and 13 percent for regular bicycles. The median age of deceased e-scooter riders was 47.5 years.

Researchers suggest that the solution lies not primarily in more regulations, but in changing the societal attitude towards e-scooters. "Currently, there are few established social norms around e-scooters because they are still relatively new. They are often perceived more as toys than as real vehicles," Dozza explained. He advocates for treating e-scooters with the same seriousness as bicycles, encouraging parents to teach children safe riding practices, including helmet use.