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DRIVING

Could Germany ban e-scooters following rise in accidents?

E-scooter accidents in Germany have increased fivefold since 2020, leading police and safety organisations to call for a crackdown on how and when they're used.

Published: 5 April 2023 16:57 CEST
A man rides an e-scooter on a street in Berlin.
A man rides an e-scooter on a street in Berlin. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Britta Pedersen

Whether in Berlin, Frankfurt or Hamburg, it’s impossible not to spot electronic scooters in the busiest parts of the city, often strewn on the sidewalk for the next renter to unlock with an app.

But new statistics are causing many to question the safety of their use – and if Germany should ban the increasingly popular motorised vehicles. 

The number of traffic accidents involving e-scooters has increased almost five fold since 2020, according to data published on Tuesday from Germany’s Statistical Office. 

Whereas 92 road accidents were recorded in 2020, in 2022 there were a total of 442 road accidents (up from 282 in 2021). 

In 69.7 percent of the cases, the e-scooter drivers themselves were found to have caused the accidents. 

Incorrect use and the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating substances were the main causes of accidents.

READ ALSO: EXPLAINED: The rules for riding an e-scooter in Germany

‘Too fast’

Michael Mertens, vice-chairman of the German Police Union (GdP), said that more safety measures on e-scooters needed to be put in place.

“From our point of view, effective options for more safety must be examined, including higher fines, intensified instruction or an alcohol ban (while driving them),” Mertens told the the Redaktions Netzwerk Deutschland (RND) on Wednesday. 

“E-scooters are too fast,” he added. At 20 kilometres per hour – their speed limit in Germany – an accident could have “serious consequences”. 

“A partial success would be to restrict the speed of the scooters to 15 km/h in principle,” Mertens said. 

The problems are similar all over Germany, he said. He pointed to a lack of parking for the vehicles, which leads to them being disposed of in the centre of pedestrian zones.

Pictured is an E-scooter.

Pictured is an E-scooter. Photo by Alexander Schimmeck on Unsplash

Furthermore, “the feeling of freedom on the scooters…can lead to a lack of care for road safety issues,” Mertens said.

“This is a motor vehicle,” said Baden-Württemberg’s Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) at the presentation of the statistics.

Even though they are readily available everywhere in the cities, they are not toys, he added, pointing out that inexperienced users are usually unable to safely manoeuvre at a speed of 20 kph.

Will Germany follow the lead of Paris?

On April 2nd, a clear majority of residents in Paris – or 89 percent – voted against rental e-scooters amid increasing concerns about their safety and a lack of space to store them. 

READ ALSO: Paris votes in favour of ban on e-scooters

The ban will go into effect in September. On Monday April 3rd, the German Association of Cities spoke out against a full ban for Germany, but rather in favour of “clear rules of the game” in the future.

The federal states should “give all cities the option of requiring a special use permit for e-scooters in public spaces”, said Deputy Chief Executive Verena Göppert. 

Then the cities could choose which providers are allowed to rent out their scooters and put clear rules in place.

Germany is currently the world’s second-largest market for e-scooter rental after the US, and anyone over the age of 14 is allowed to rent one out.

Member comments

  1. While lowering the speed ( preferably by adjusting the device so it can’t exceed 15 km/hr) is a step in the right direction and better than nothing, they should be banned . Those of us who are old and less spry are in danger. My husband has had several close calls from these things. If you are walking with children, it can also be dangerous. Most folks who use them are not attentive to pedestrians.

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DRIVING

EU countries to extend range of offences foreign drivers can be fined for

The EU has agreed to extend the number of driving offences for which motorists from other member states can be fined for and to make it easier for authorities to chase up the fines and make foreign drivers pay.

Published: 13 May 2024 17:28 CEST
EU countries to extend range of offences foreign drivers can be fined for

In the last voting session of this term, in April, the European Parliament passed new rules to ensure drivers who breach local traffic rules in another EU member state are found and fined.

The cross-border enforcement (CBE) directive was first adopted in 2015 after it was found that non-resident drivers were more likely to commit speeding offences. The European Commission estimated that in 2008, foreign drivers accounted for about 5 percent of road traffic in the EU but committed around 15 percent of speeding offences.

The directive partially improved the situation, but according to the Commission 40 percent of traffic violations committed in other EU countries are still unpunished “because the offender is not identified or because the fine is not enforced”.

In March 2023, the Commission therefore proposed updating existing measures.

New rules extend the type of offences that will trigger assistance from another member state and seek to improve collaboration among national authorities to identify and fine offenders.

The European Parliament and Council agreed in March on the final text of the directive, which is now being formally approved by the two institutions.

André Sobczak, Secretary-General at Eurocities, a group representing European cities in Brussels, said: “While the final outcome of the discussions is not ideal, we are pleased that EU policymakers have at least put the issue of the enforcement of local traffic rules on foreign vehicles on the table. As we approach an election year, I believe such a practical example can demonstrate why a European approach is necessary to address local issues.”

Which traffic offences are covered?

The previous directive covered eight driving misconducts that would require member states to cooperate: speeding, not wearing seat belts, failing to stop at a red traffic light, drink-driving, driving under the effect of drugs, not wearing a helmet (motorcycles / scooters), using a forbidden lane and using a mobile phone or other communication devices while driving.

The Commission proposed to add to the list not keeping a safe distance from the vehicle in front, dangerous overtaking, dangerous parking, crossing one or more solid white lines, driving the wrong way down a one way street, not respecting the rules on “emergency corridors” (a clear lane intended for priority vehicles), and using an overloaded vehicle.

The Parliament and Council agreed to these and added more offences: not giving way to emergency service vehicles, not respecting access restrictions or rules at a rail crossings, as well as hit-and-run offences.

Despite calls from European cities, the new directive does not cover offences related to foreign drivers avoiding congestion charges or low emission zones. In such cases, information about vehicle registration can only be shared among countries with bilateral agreements.

Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General at POLIS, a network of cities and regions working on urban transport, called on the next European Commission to take other local traffic offences, such as breaches of low emission zones, “fully at heart”.

Collaboration among national authorities

For the traffic violations covered by the directive, EU countries have to help each other to find the liable driver. The new directive further clarifies how.

Member states will have to use the European vehicle and driving licence information system (Eucaris) to get the data of the offender.

National authorities will have 11 months from the date of the violation to issue the fine to a vehicle from another EU member state. However, they will not have to resort to agencies or private entities to collect the fine. This was requested by the European Parliament to avoid scams or leaks of personal data.

Authorities in the country of the offender will have to reply to requests from another EU member state within two months.

When the amount of the fine is more than €70, and all options to have it paid have been exhausted, the member state where the violation occurred can ask the country of the offender to take over the collection.

The person concerned will be able to request follow-up documents in a different official EU language.

When will the new rules will be enforced?

Now that the EU Parliament has passed the law, the EU Council has to do the same, although there is no date set for when that will happen. Once the directive is adopted, EU countries will have 30 months to prepare for implementation.

Last year the Commission also proposed a new directive on driving licenses, but negotiations on the final text of this file will only take place after the European elections.

This article has been produced in collaboration with Europe Street news.

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