"Falling and Colliding" ... 'Electric Kickboard' Accidents Double in One Year

A citizen wearing no protective gear is riding an electric scooter weaving through cars on the Seoul Namsan Circular Road. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] As the use of electric scooters increases as an alternative to congested urban transportation, related accidents are also rapidly rising.

According to the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters on the 3rd, electric scooter accidents in the Seoul area increased more than twofold in one year, from 73 cases in 2017 and 57 cases in 2018 to 117 cases in 2019.

Among the 247 electric scooter accidents that occurred over three years, 63 cases (25.5%) involved collisions with vehicles. In 2019, out of 117 accidents (105 people), 31 cases (26.4%) involved collisions with vehicles, 6 cases (5.1%) involved collisions with pedestrians, and most of the remaining cases were single accidents such as falling alone while riding or tripping over speed bumps.

Meanwhile, electric scooter fires occurred 9 times in 2017, 10 times in 2018, and 23 times in 2019, and by the end of April this year, 12 cases have already been reported.

Among the 42 accidents from 2017 to 2019, 40 cases (95%) occurred during charging.

A Fire and Disaster Headquarters official explained, "Electric scooter fires show explosive combustion phenomena in the battery, so it is better to charge them outdoors in open spaces," adding, "It is safe to use genuine batteries that meet standards, store them in moisture-free places after use, and avoid riding in rainy weather."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.