E-scooter injuries double as ÖAMTC offers safety courses

Injuries among e-scooter riders in Lower Austria have doubled in two years, prompting ÖAMTC to offer free safety courses, ORF reported. Experts say riders particularly underestimate the vehicles’ braking effectiveness.

Last year, 516 e-scooter riders were injured in crashes in Lower Austria, twice as many as two years earlier. ÖAMTC course instructor Ellen Dehnert said e-scooters posed a high risk of falling because of their small wheels, high speeds and limited braking performance.

The courses cover the vehicles and traffic rules. Riders are taught that they can easily fall over the handlebars, while crossing a threshold can also create a high risk of falling, Dehnert said.

At a course at the Krems ice rink, participants used a traffic-pattern mat to practise potentially dangerous situations. Ten-year-old Hugo Recalde from Dürnstein, the youngest participant, said learning about trucks’ blind spots had helped him most.

Vehicle familiarisation is also part of the programme because scooters differ widely in their tyres, braking systems and performance limits, Dehnert said.

Participants later practised weaving between cones from both directions without colliding. Manfred Zwinz from Furth bei Göttweig, who had only ridden his new scooter on a field track, said the course gave him a good opportunity to try it on concrete.

Braking exercises were another focus. A rope marked the stopping line, which many participants initially crossed. After several rounds, riders improved and developed a better feel for their vehicles.

Dehnert also advised riders to crouch slightly when braking. This shifts their balance and makes it less likely that they will fall forward, said Katharina Hesse from Deutsch-Wagram.

Further courses are planned in Perchtoldsdorf, Wiener Neustadt and Baden. All places are already filled. ÖAMTC said it would assess the programme after the first four sessions and could offer additional dates.