More than half of all e-scooter accidents occur in the dark in fall and winter
Accidents involving e-scooters are steadily increasing. The TCS analysis shows a clear correlation between the time of accidents and darkness in the winter months. To mark the 18th International Day of Light, the TCS is reminding cyclists of the rules to be observed when riding an e-scooter and giving practical tips on how to be clearly visible in the dark.
Thanks to its space-saving format, low weight and quiet motor, the e-scooter has become a popular short-distance vehicle in the city. However, while sales in Switzerland have skyrocketed in recent years, this is unfortunately also true of the number of accidents. FEDRO data showed 98 accidents in 2019, compared to 716 accidents in 2023. Although the proportion of e-scooter accidents in relation to all accidents remains low at 0.18% in 2019 and 1.34% in 2023, the number of accidents has increased 7.3-fold in five years. This sharp increase is remarkable, as the total number of accidents has remained stable during this period. However, there are also more and more e-scooters on Swiss roads.
Frequent accidents on fall and winter nights
When analyzing the accident data from FEDRO, TCS found a clear correlation between the number of accidents and darkness during the winter months. To clarify these figures, the TCS included the official sunrise and sunset times to determine the dark periods in the various months and compared them with the accident data according to the corresponding times.
This shows that the number of accidents at night in 2023 is higher in the particularly dark months of January, February, March, November and December. In contrast, fewer accidents occur in the dark in the spring and summer months, which offer more hours of sunshine. In the months of January to March and October to December in particular, more than half of accidents occurred before sunrise or after sunset. In December, almost two thirds of accidents occurred at night. One reason for this is that many e-scooter users commute with relatively regular working hours. In winter, for example, scooters are mostly used in the dark.
Tips for safe driving in the dark season
The sharp increase in e-scooter accidents requires increased caution from users, but also from car, bicycle and motorcycle riders. The risk of road traffic accidents is higher at night or dusk than during the day, and even higher when it rains or snows at night. In fall and winter, it is therefore important to be clearly visible on the road, especially for e-scooter riders.
The first step is always to switch on the front and rear headlights to comply with the legal requirements and to check that they are clean and within range. The TCS also recommends wearing light-colored clothing and reflective elements. Because in the dark, a person with reflectors is visible to other road users from a distance of up to 140 meters. On the website madevisible.swissThe page of the prevention campaign of the same name, which is updated annually by the TCS, contains numerous suggestions for clothing and accessories that increase visibility at night. Finally, the TCS recommends that all e-scooter riders wear a helmet, even if this is not currently required by law.
Source: TCS
