E-scooter season brings surge in accidents across Estonia

The arrival of warm weather has triggered a sharp rise in e-scooter accidents in Estonia. According to the North Prefecture's traffic supervision chief, light mobility devices now account for nearly one-fifth of all injury-causing traffic accidents. In most cases, the rider is found to be at fault.

Estonia's e-scooter season is back — and so is a worrying spike in road accidents. As electric scooters have returned to city streets with the warmer weather, traffic authorities say the number of incidents involving them has shot up dramatically.

Sirle Loigo, head of the North Prefecture's traffic supervision unit, says light mobility devices are already responsible for close to one-fifth of all injury-causing traffic accidents recorded so far this season. That figure has raised serious concerns among road safety officials.

According to the statistics, the blame most often lies with the riders themselves. Whether due to speeding, riding under the influence, ignoring traffic rules, or failing to wear protective gear, e-scooter users are repeatedly found to have contributed to their own accidents.

Authorities are urging all e-scooter riders to treat themselves as full participants in traffic — not pedestrians, not cyclists, but road users with real responsibilities. Using bike lanes where available, wearing a helmet, and staying sober are among the basic precautions officials say could prevent the majority of these incidents.

With summer still ahead and scooter usage expected to grow, traffic police have signalled that enforcement activity will increase. The North Prefecture has made light mobility devices a priority focus for patrols this season.