Patterns of E-Scooter and Bicycle Accidents in Munich, Germany

Maryna Pobudzei, a researcher into micromobility sharing systems, presents the results of a Munich study that identified differences and similarities between e-scooter and bicycle crashes.

The 31-month study revealed valuable trends in the types of people involved in scooter and bike crashes, where they are most likely to occur, and how further investigations can improve micromobility safety.

It showed that in Munich, the common locations for crashes resemble the trends identified in the media and other literature: micromobility incidents tend to occur in downtown areas and central primary roads with many adjacent intersections and mixed land use.

When e-scooters emerged on Munich roads in 2019, accidents were primarily concentrated in the city centre. As the vehicles became more common over time, they sprawled to other regions.

Maryna says future research could examine incidents on a micro-scale, studying individual hot spots and possible inconsistencies in infrastructure. Policymakers, service operators, and transportation practitioners could benefit from investigating settings, causes, and effects of traffic incidents to be aware of local features and make informed safety regulation decisions.

Cities must balance the critical safety aspects of vehicles, users, and infrastructure. Creating a secure micromobility network requires investment and thorough spatial analysis of incident trends and infrastructure requirements, but can improve safety of all road users, including pedestrians.

That needs to be accompanied with safety awareness campaigns to support mandatory helmet wearing and curb drink driving and riding.