E-scooter crashes in Salzburg rise 48 percent since 2023

E-scooter crashes in the Austrian state of Salzburg have risen by 48 percent since 2023, with 214 people injured and one person killed last year, ORF reported. The mobility club ÖAMTC warned on Thursday that the risk of serious injury is also high.

Statistics Austria has recorded e-scooter crashes separately since 2023. Salzburg recorded 149 crashes that year, followed by 170 in 2024 and 221 in 2025.

Children are also increasingly being treated at Salzburg University Hospital for complex fractures and head injuries after e-scooter crashes, according to recent observations there. Matthias Schaffert, a senior doctor in paediatric and adolescent surgery, said many people treated e-scooters like toys.

“They are a means of transport,” Schaffert said, comparing them with mopeds. He added that some e-scooters, including grey imports, can travel significantly faster than expected.

The ÖAMTC and partner organisations said the risk resulted from several factors, including the vehicles’ riding characteristics, risky behaviour, inadequate protective equipment, insufficient knowledge of traffic rules and rising usage.

Crashes were particularly common in the evening and at night, as well as during the summer months. Alcohol was also a significant factor, said ÖAMTC traffic engineer Christoph Schönlechner. He warned that alcohol-related impairment had a stronger effect because e-scooters provide a less stable riding position than other vehicles.

Only about one in 10 e-scooter riders wears a helmet, according to the ÖAMTC. The organisation renewed its call for a mandatory helmet requirement for all riders, regardless of age.

“The risk of injury does not end on a person’s 16th birthday,” the ÖAMTC said. “Anyone riding an e-scooter faces the same physical risks, regardless of age.”