Electric scooters and other Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) are changing the way people move around European cities. From e-scooters to electric skateboards and self-balancing vehicles, these compact transport options offer flexibility and convenience, particularly for first- and last-mile journeys. However, their growing popularity also raises important questions about road safety, infrastructure and regulation.
The European Road Safety Charter has recently published two articles exploring the challenges and potential solutions for safer PMD use, highlighting the need to balance the benefits of micromobility with the protection of all road users.
Understanding the safety challenges
Although PMDs can support more flexible urban mobility, their users remain vulnerable in traffic. More than 80% of fatal e-scooter crashes and around half of serious trauma cases involve collisions with motor vehicles. At the same time, many crashes are single-vehicle incidents linked to loss of control, distraction, intoxication or road surface defects.
These findings underline the importance of addressing both interactions with other road users and the conditions in which PMDs are used.
What needs to change?
Safer vehicle design: Wider wheels, larger wheel diameters, more effective brakes, improved lighting and indicators can help reduce risks and improve visibility. Better technical standards could also support more consistent safety requirements across Europe.
Infrastructure that protects everyone: Well-maintained road surfaces, appropriate cycling infrastructure and designated parking facilities can help prevent accidents and reduce conflicts between pedestrians, cyclists and motorised traffic. Technologies such as geofencing can also help manage vehicle speeds and access in designated areas.
Clearer rules and greater awareness: Rider education, effective enforcement and appropriate regulations are essential to encouraging responsible behaviour. Understanding how to handle and brake a PMD safely is particularly important for inexperienced users.
Stronger safety measures: Across Europe, countries are introducing or considering new requirements concerning helmets, speed limits, insurance, vehicle identification and restrictions on where e-scooters can be used. While national approaches differ, these developments reflect growing attention to the safe integration of micromobility into urban transport systems.
How does this relate to EvoRoads?
EvoRoads works towards safer European roads through innovative approaches to road safety, infrastructure monitoring and data-driven solutions. The growing use of PMDs highlights why a holistic approach is essential: road safety depends not only on individual behaviour, but also on vehicle design, infrastructure quality, effective regulation and the way different road users share public space.
By supporting a more proactive and comprehensive approach to road safety, initiatives such as EvoRoads contribute to the broader ambition of creating safer roads for everyone. As urban mobility continues to evolve, safety must evolve with it.
