A 37-year-old man riding an electric scooter died Tuesday after he was struck by a minivan being driven by a 16-year-old in North Seattle.
A 9-year-old, who police said wasn’t wearing a helmet, was riding an electric scooter to a nearby friend’s house in Northern Virginia late last month when he collided with a minivan and died.
A 5-year-old boy on an e-scooter was seriously injured in a hit-and-run in Southeast Washington, D.C., in July.
As e-scooters are becoming more popular and more people ride them, accidents and deaths are increasing.
When my daughter, her family, and I spent two weeks in Seattle for a vacation recently, we saw dozens of green Lime e-bikes parked all over the city. We saw several dozen people riding them; none were wearing helmets.
More than 130 U.S. cities offered ride-share e-scooter systems in 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
In the Unites States, there were an estimated 360,800 emergency department visits related to all micromobility devices, including e-scooters, from 2017 through 2022, and 233 deaths associated with micromobility devices from 2017 through 2022, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC.
The number of e-scooter injuries has been rising significantly, with injuries increasing nearly 22 percent in 2022 from 2021.
Because collisions with motor vehicles and control issues are leading hazards, the CPSC urges consumers to do the following:
- Watch the CPSC’s PSA on safe riding.
- Always wear a bicycle helmet when riding to protect your head in a fall.
- Make sure to check for any damage before riding, which includes examining the handlebars, brakes, throttle, bell, lights, tires, cables, and frame.
- See and be seen. Most deaths involve motor vehicles. Many micromobility products are small, quick, and quiet, making it difficult for others to spot you, especially in parking lots and structures.
- Expect vehicle drivers and pedestrians not to see you; slow down and stay aware of your surroundings.
- Use the bell/horn to alert others.
- Don’t make abrupt, unpredictable movements.
- Beware of obstacles. E-scooters have small tires, so objects and uneven surfaces can cause them to stop suddenly, throwing you off.
- Always keep both hands on the handlebars and keep items off the handlebars.
- Slow down and lean back when you have to ride over bumps.
- Never ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Make sure only one person is riding per scooter; additional riders can increase the risk and severity of collisions.
- Follow all manufacturer directions, review the safety information, and follow the weight and age limits for the micromobility device.
Good luck. And clip a light-weight helmet and bike light to your backpack if you think you might be renting an e-scooter later in the day.
