E-scooter accidents send one to A&E every eight hours in Antwerp

Accidents involving electric scooters result in one emergency admission every eight hours at Antwerp’s ZAS hospital group. In half of the cases, victims are left unable to work. Doctors urge the government to tighten regulations.

Between July 2022 and January 2024, ZAS treated 1,580 patients for e-scooter-related injuries, equivalent to over 1,000 annually. Most injuries were caused by falls (80 per cent), and nine in ten victims were the scooter users themselves.

Doctors are calling for stricter rules, including power limits similar to electric bikes, a speed cap of 20 km/h, and mandatory helmet use. They believe these measures could significantly reduce serious injuries.

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Men account for 62 per cent of the cases, with the 25-34 age group most affected. They’re followed by those aged 15-24, despite a minimum age requirement. Notably, police are involved in only a fraction of incidents, suggesting official figures vastly underrepresent the scale of the issue.

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