The number of accidents involving e-scooters is on the rise

As of August 2024, 111 administrative and 22 criminal cases related to e-scooter accidents have been found in the court registry.

The highest number of e-scooter-related accidents was recorded last year, with 36 administrative and 10 criminal cases. However, the number of such proceedings continues to increase year by year. This year, more criminal cases have already been opened than in the entire year of 2021. So far in 2024, at least 16 administrative and 3 criminal cases involving e-scooter riders have been reviewed in courts.

The most common types of accidents where e-scooter riders are at fault involve hitting pedestrians or damaging property. In such cases, the riders usually face fines ranging from 340 to 850 UAH.

At the same time, there is an increasing number of cases where e-scooter riders are caught driving under the influence. For instance, last year, a rider of a rented e-scooter hit a woman on the sidewalk. Upon testing, he was found to have a blood alcohol level of 0.9‰, which is roughly equivalent to drinking 250 ml of vodka. The offender was fined 17,000 UAH and had his driver’s license revoked for a year.

However, offenders are not always fully held accountable: riders may not have a driver’s license and may simply be unaware of traffic rules. For instance, a courier on an e-scooter, who was in a hurry to deliver an order with a blood alcohol level of 0.33‰, argued in court that he was sober and that an e-scooter is not a vehicle. Nevertheless, these arguments did not help him avoid a fine of 17,000 UAH. The authorities could not confiscate his driver’s license as required by law because he never had one.

Our editorial team inquired how the e-scooter rental business responds to such statistics. Companies like Bolt and Jet noted that the law does not require e-scooter riders to have a driver’s license, but their services do require riders to be adults. It’s worth mentioning that these services do not require documentary proof of age; users only need to enter their date of birth during registration.

Both companies mentioned that all rides are insured in case of damage to the life or property of third parties. However, if an accident involves a minor who lied about their age during registration (as in the case where a teenager in Kyiv crashed into a car)), the consequences of such an incident may not be covered by insurance at all (Jet), or, depending on the circumstances, the service reserves the right to make the final decision (Bolt).

«Currently, it is crucial to develop clear and understandable traffic rules for electric scooters at the legislative level, as well as responsibility for their violations. We do not track all incidents involving electric scooters in general, but we do monitor insurance cases—this year, they account for less than 0.001% of all rides» 

— commented Anton Milka, Head of Shared Services Development at Bolt in Ukraine.

Context

Recall that in 2023, electric scooter riders were legally recognized as full participants in road traffic; however, specific rules for them have not yet been approved. Electric scooter, monowheel, and similar vehicle operators are required to stay as far right as possible on the roadway, use reflective elements, and wear helmets. At the same time, riding on sidewalks and pedestrian paths is prohibited for such vehicles.