Exploring implications and current practices in e-scooter safety: A systematic review

Abstract

The proliferation of e-scooters in urban spaces has introduced safety concerns despite their potential to reduce traffic congestion and provide an environmentally friendly solution for short-distance trips. This study consolidates existing knowledge on e-scooter safety through a systematic literature review of 168 academic studies and grey literature, following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Our primary objective is to identify the key e-scooter safety concerns from existing literature, together with the strategies stakeholders use to address these concerns, and highlight areas for further research. The literature shows that e-scooter riders are commonly injured in single-vehicle incidents, with a clear association between severe injuries and violations of traffic rules such as speeding and alcohol consumption. Frequently recommended safety measures include separating e-scooters from pedestrians, instituting licensing and mandatory training, and enforcing helmet usage and zero alcohol consumption. On top of that, clear legislative definitions for e-scooters ease and improve enforcement, and setting technical requirements for e-scooter design can improve stability, handling performance, and reduce incidents.

Understanding the differences between user types and the underlying factors influencing risky behaviour is crucial for developing effective interventions. Users of shared schemes often lack knowledge of rules and have poorer riding skills, possibly due to their less frequent use. Conversely, private e-scooter owners pose enforcement challenges for speeding and prohibited riding, as these scooters lack geofencing and tracking capabilities often found in shared scheme e-scooters. Helmet non-use, where mandatory, is attributed to a lack of support from riders for increased law enforcement and a low perception of risk rather than a lack of knowledge about the laws. Similarly, illegal sidewalk riding is linked to factors of comfort and convenience rather than infrastructure preference or unawareness of illegality. Proactive measures that are user-based, time-based, and location-based require further investigation. Consistently collecting and analysing data informs region-specific safety decisions and allows policymakers to monitor safety risks over time and assess intervention effectiveness, which are largely absent in current literature.