News E-scooter accidents in Japan: 40% linked to intoxicated riders

A recent NPA report revealed a concerning trend in Japan: 40% of single-vehicle e-scooter accidents between January and June involved riders who were under the influence of alcohol. This figure is significantly higher compared to bicycle and moped accidents, where only around 1% of incidents involve drunk riders. Overall, 23 out of 134 e-scooter traffic accidents during this period involved intoxicated riders. The NPA is urging e-scooter users to exercise caution and avoid riding under the influence, emphasizing the potential dangers of drunk driving.

In regard to single vehicle accidents, 18 of 45 e-scooter accidents involved drunken riding. By cause of accidents, users fell over in 31 cases, or a little under 70%, while 10 cases saw a collision with electric poles or guardrails. By region of injury, the face and head accounted for 60%, totaling 28 cases. During the one-year period from July 2023 to June this year, there were 219 e-scooter accidents, of which 90% involved rented vehicles and 30% of riders were not license holders. By age, those in their 20s made up the largest group, accounting for 51.6%, followed by those in their 30s and 40s at 22.4% and 11.4%, respectively. There were some in their 70s or above. There were 86 accidents caused by e-scooters, of which pedestrians were the other party in 37 cases, or 40%, followed by bicycles in 24 cases and cars in 22. Meanwhile, there were 54 instances in which e-scooters were caught up in accidents, with 80% of them caused by cars.

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Professor Daisuke Ito, a traffic safety specialist at Kansai University, observed that many young people may use e-scooters in a very casual fashion, similar to how they use bicycles, especially when renting them. The NPA reported that 70% of the 23 e-scooter accidents involving drunk riding occurred between midnight and 6 a.m., and 56.5% of e-scooter riders used them for personal use or dining out. While acknowledging the convenience of e-scooters, Ito emphasized that their motorized nature can lead to serious accidents. He urged riders to treat e-scooters with the care and respect they deserve as vehicles and adhere to all relevant traffic laws.

A kid in my neighborhood (about 9 years old) has one. I can't believe how fast it goes (about 25 MPH).