Police strikes: E-scooter sinners in Vienna have to pay!

Police strikes: E-scooter sinners in Vienna have to pay!

Josefstadt, Österreich - The debate about e-scooter in Austria is becoming increasingly hot. The Viennese police recently set a clear sign with the “Vienna rolling” campaign. In a focus campaign from Thursday afternoon to Friday morning, numerous traffic offenders were targeted. There were around 450 advertisements due to traffic law violations, such as The high speeds that some drivers reach are particularly alarming. In this campaign, four controlled e-scooters were found at speeds between 41 and 47 km/h-however, only 25 km/h are allowed. The handlebars of these vehicles had to deal with ads, while four other drivers were displayed due to alcohol or drug use. Police spokeswoman Anna Gutt emphasized the importance of these measures to increase traffic safety.

The increasing figures The e-scooter users also goes hand in hand with an increase in accidents. According to the Board of Trustees for Road Safety (KFV), there were around 7,500 injuries in 2024 by e-scooter accidents, which corresponds to an increase of 25 percent compared to 2023. Since the boom of the e-scooter in 2019, the number of injuries has more than versatile, as kfv.at

The situation for pedestrians is particularly critical, which are increasingly in conflicts with e-scooter drivers. Around 78 percent of the accidents are sole accidents in which the drivers themselves often wear the main debt. In addition, 45 percent of those surveyed complain that e-scooter drivers are a more common problem in road traffic. Accidents often happen due to unadjusted speed, carelessness and distraction.

challenges and demands

But not only the speed is a problem. Alcohol and drug abuse among drivers is also increasingly occurring. In the first half of 2024, 16 percent of e-scooter drivers were alcoholic. The KFV therefore not only calls for better training of the drivers, but also stricter regulations for e-scooters. These include a mandatory second brake, attaching indicators and a lowering speed frame from 25 to 20 km/h.

Unfortunately, the wrong parking is also a big topic. Especially in the evening and on weekends, incorrectly parked e-scooters hinder pedestrians, people with mobility restrictions and families with strollers. The urban authorities strive to quickly remove incorrectly parked e-scooters, but often pedestrians have to accept long waiting times.

The Viennese police have contributed to raising awareness of these problems with their new approach. The demands for more discipline, better regulations and stricter punishments are increasingly heard in view of the current developments. E-scooters have their advantages, but the safety in road traffic must not fall by the wayside.

The Viennese population hopes for a rapid improvement in the traffic situation - because safe traffic is the top goal for everyone.