The “boom” that we have recently seem with the use of electric scooters now means that traffic accidents in which they are involved are very much a part of the Local Police statistics. The accidents that occur with this means of transport are triple those with bicycles, because, to a large extent, the users of scooters that move around the town centres are much older.
In 14 months (from January 1, 2022 to March 1 of this year) the Traffic Judicial Police Unit in Elche recorded a total of 96 interventions, of which 80 were due to accidents and 16 judicial and administrative proceedings.
The vast majority, 65 accidents, resulted in minor injuries; material damage was detected in 14; and there was a serious injury in one. In addition, the Local Police registered 6 administrative complaints for driving under the influence of alcohol and as many for carrying a scooter after having consumed drugs.
Comparing the figures with other cities such as Valencia, however, where scooters are much more numerous, and the city has four times more residents than in Elche, last year more than 800 accidents were recorded in the Community Capital.
The most common accident that occurred in Elche with personal mobility vehicles were pedestrians being run over on the pavement, according to the Traffic Judicial Police unit. The accidents are of a minor nature, but they are solely because of the misuse of the person riding the scooter, since circulation in these areas is prohibited.
The other most common cause mishaps are the impacts suffered, in this case, by the users of scooters, by vehicles that drive into bike lanes, and end up hitting the scooters.
One other focus of police officers is on those riders who drive scooters with a built-in seat. Such users are required to have a driving license and cannot exceed 25 kilometres per hour. These drivers are committing a crime and if caught by the Police they are denounced and have to face a trial.
Elche’s Councillor of Security, Ramón Abad, stressed the importance of local administrations working on “raising awareness and co-educating the users of these vehicles to respect traffic regulations and learn to coexist with other vehicles.”
He said that the Local Police has been working for some time in order to raise awareness together, of course, with educating those users who flagrantly break the rules.
