In the Guardian today, the above, and:
Electric scooter riders are three times more likely to suffer traumatic brain injuries than motorcyclists, according to an analysis of accidents in England and Wales – which found women were particularly at risk of serious harm.
Brain injuries accounted for more than a third of adult injuries on e-scooters, but riders also sustained more internal organ and blood vessel damage than did motorcyclists or pedal cyclists, the study found.
The government has backed trials of rental e-scooters in England since 2020, but an additional 1m or so e-scooters are privately owned in the UK. These cannot legally be used on public roads, paths or cycle lanes, but police forces across the country have confiscated thousands because their owners were breaking the law.
The accident analysis reveals that women were involved in about a third more collisions than men – and were more than twice as likely to report severe injuries. Children were also at risk with, 16% of e-scooter injuries in under 18s. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/aug/06/e-scooters-more-dangerous-than-motorbikes-or-cycles-analysis
While we have no directly equivalent data on brain injuries from e-scooter accidents for Scotland, we can reasonably predict that they are far less common here because we do know that injuries overall are far less common – only one sixth of the level pro rata.
When you compare the number of casualties involving e-bikes.
In 2024, the UK, saw 1 390 casualties.1
With 8% of the population, you might then expect around 111 casualties in Scotland.
There were 18, one sixth of the level.2
Why might this be?
I suppose weather will be a factor but the lack of legal government-backed trials in Scotland, even regulated, with speed limits, geofencing, insurance, and age checks have not increased exposure in high-traffic urban areas in Scotland, keeping casualties down here.3
Has the Scottish Government been criticised for a lack of rental trials and keeping casualties down? Indeed. The Scotsman, no surprise there:
So, the SNP Government can be accused by some, well all of the media, for not supporting this exciting new initiative and in so doing keeping us all safe. They’ll need to work on the wording for that one.
Sources:
- https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-e-scooter-factsheet-2024/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-e-scooter-factsheet-2024
- https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202500485456/
- https://zagdaily.com/micromobility/five-years-of-uk-e-scooter-trials-what-are-the-lessons-learned/
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The Labour/Tory council hire e-bikes scheme which are being used now in Edinburgh (1000 of them!) are a danger to the riders and to pedestrians. They ride them very fast and the people using them do not know the highway code, they do not realise they are a road user and not allowed on pavements, and they do not wear helmets, yikes!
A friend years ago who was a semi professional cyclist, was knocked off their bike by someone opening their car door, cyclist was fine, but inside of helmet, was literally smashed to pieces!
If they had not worn a helmet, their head would have been smashed to pieces and you can imagine that would be fatal.
Basic safety, wear a freakin helmet.
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