Germany sees 38% jump in e‑scooter crashes in 2025, 38 dead

In 2025 German police recorded 16,496 e‑scooter crashes with personal injury – a 38 % rise over 2024. The accidents caused 38 fatalities, up from 27 the previous year, and injured 1,895 people seriously and 16,184 lightly. About 82.4 % of the victims were riding the scooter themselves, while 5.5 % were illegal passengers, despite the traffic code permitting only one rider.

Young users were disproportionately affected: 53.6 % of the injured were under 25, and 83.7 % were younger than 45. The most common error was improper use of the roadway or sidewalks (21.6 % of cases), followed by alcohol involvement (10.9 %).

Safety authorities, including the German Road Safety Council (DVR), have called for stricter measures: a competency test for non‑license holders, raising the minimum age from 14 to 15, mandatory side‑lighting on scooters, and higher fines for illegal riding and carrying passengers.