Drunk e-scooter driver causes accident in Delmenhorst!

Drunk e-scooter driver causes accident in Delmenhorst!

A serious traffic accident occurred on Saturday in Delmenhorst, Lower Saxony. A 34-year-old man caused a collision with his e-scooter in the area of ​​Oldenburger Straße/Mühlenstraße around 3:30 p.m. When turning onto Mühlenstrasse, the driver of the e-scooter overlooked the right-of-way vehicle belonging to a 55-year-old driver. Fortunately, he was uninjured, but there was significant damage to both vehicles, as Oldenburger Online Zeitung reports.

After the crash, the e-scooter driver tried to leave the scene of the accident without permission. However, the car driver was able to hold him until the police arrived. A breath alcohol test revealed an alarming number: 2.48 per thousand. The 34-year-old's behavior also became aggressive when the officers wanted to escort him to the patrol car; he resisted and ultimately had to be brought to the ground.

Consequences for the e-scooter driver

When his personal details were checked, it turned out that there was an arrest warrant against the e-scooter driver. This resulted in him being taken to a correctional facility. The Delmenhorst police are now carrying out further investigations into the incident in order to clarify all the circumstances in detail. However, this is not an isolated case, as News.de adds.

The importance of drinking and driving cannot be underestimated, especially given the rapid increase in e-scooters on the roads. According to reports from the KFV, the number of e-scooter drivers injured in accidents in Austria increased from 1,200 in 2019 to 6,000 in 2023, which corresponds to a fivefold increase in the number of injuries. What is alarming is that 12% of those driving e-scooters who were involved in accidents were drunk at the time of the accident, while this figure is only 4% for car drivers and 3% for motorcyclists, as KFV reported.

E-scooter risk factor

The average age of e-scooter riders involved in accidents is 34 years old, which makes them younger overall than those involved in accidents with e-bikes or bicycles. 90% of the drunk e-scooter drivers had a blood alcohol level of over 1.0 per mille, while 28% even had over 2.0 per mille. In many cases these accidents are self-inflicted; 77% of e-scooter accidents are caused by the drivers themselves.

The strict legal framework for driving under alcohol is obviously necessary, because the penalties for drunk e-scooter drivers range between 800 and 3,700 euros, and even increase to up to 5,900 euros for higher alcohol levels. The KFV also calls for a helmet requirement for all e-scooter drivers and additional safety precautions, as the helmet wearing rate is currently only 9%.

Given the ever-increasing number of accidents, it is important that drivers act responsibly and comply with applicable traffic regulations. Safety tips, such as wearing a helmet and driving without alcohol, can make a decisive contribution to the safe use of e-scooters. With this in mind, it is time to glide through the streets more consciously and take responsibility!