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🗞️ Driving the news: As European cities increasingly restrict or ban electric scooter rentals over safety concerns and public complaints, a new study from Sweden’s Chalmers University of Technology suggests the backlash may be overblown
• The research found that e-scooters are between 2.5 and 10 times safer than electric bikes in similar urban settings — challenging the prevailing narrative that scooters are the more dangerous mode of micromobility.
🔭 The context: Electric scooters surged in popularity across Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic, with rental platforms deploying fleets in dense city centers
• But chaotic rollouts — including sidewalk clutter, unsafe riding, and a spike in injuries — triggered bans in Paris, Madrid, and tighter restrictions in cities like Rome
• Helmet usage remains low, and earlier studies from countries such as Finland and Norway had indicated scooters were significantly riskier than bikes, though these studies included less comparable riding environments
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: E-scooters offer a low-emission transport option that can help cities reduce car dependency and cut urban air pollution — if integrated safely and effectively
• Premature policy decisions based on skewed or limited data risk undermining decarbonisation and urban mobility goals
• The new study urges cities to re-evaluate blanket restrictions, and instead invest in infrastructure and regulation that accommodates scooters safely alongside bikes and pedestrians
⏭️ What's next: Policymakers across Europe are reconsidering how to balance innovation with public safety
• Some cities have imposed speed limits, restricted night use, or are weighing mandatory helmet laws
• Enforcement remains a challenge, especially with tourists and casual riders
• As additional data becomes available, urban mobility strategies may shift from prohibition toward designing inclusive and safer street environments for all microtransport users
💬 One quote: "I thought we’d find the opposite, just because of everything you read about e-scooters." – Marco Dozza, co-author of the study and road safety expert, Chalmers University
📈 One stat: Only 0.7% of e-scooter riders in one Italian hospital study were wearing helmets — contributing to high rates of head trauma and fractures among injury cases
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