By Tara Rippin • Published: 17 Feb 2021 • 14:54
CREDIT:Twitter
Electric scooters were involved in more than 100 accidents and six deaths in Spain in 2020.
Of the 109 people injured in accidents involving electric scooters, the majority were aged 16 to 35, and not wearing a helmet and driving on an interurban road were the main factors of fatal accidents.
This is according to the Mapfre Foundation using the firm’s own data, as there are no official figures for electric scooters as they are unregistered vehicles.
In a report published today, Wednesday, February 17, the foundation details the accident rate and the risks for drivers while offering recommendations for safe use.
Mapfre stressed the use of electric scooters has progressively increased in recent years, which has a direct consequence on accidents.
In 2020, 24 more accidents were registered, 26 more injured and one more deceased than in 2019.
A third of the victims in this type of accident suffered head trauma that required admission to an ICU.
In addition, seven out of 10 accidents took place on the road and only 3 per cent on pavements or pedestrian areas, places where scooters have been prohibited from circulating since January 1, 2021, as well as travelling at more than 25 km/h.
The Mapfre Foundation report shows that 80 per cent of the accidents were the result of collisions: with cars (66 per cent), with vans (8 per cent), and with pedestrians (11 per cent).
In the latter case, pedestrians came off the worst, while the users of the scooter suffered damage to their wrists and hands.
And in 40 per cent of the accidents recorded, the riders were not wearing a helmet.
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Tara Rippin is a reporter for Spain’s largest English-speaking newspaper, Euro Weekly News, and is responsible for the Costa Blanca region. She has been in journalism for more than 20 years, having worked for local newspapers in the Midlands, UK, before relocating to Spain in 1990. Since arriving, the mother-of-one has made her home on the Costa Blanca, while spending 18 months at the EWN head office in Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol. She loves being part of a community that has a wonderful expat and Spanish mix, and strives to bring the latest and most relevant news to EWN’s loyal and valued readers.
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