"Electric Scooter Traffic Accidents Surge 2.5 Times... Maximum Speed Should Be Reduced"

Electric scooters placed near the subway station

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] The number of shared electric scooter accidents in South Korea has significantly increased. There are calls to reduce the maximum speed of electric scooters to protect pedestrians.

According to the Samsung Traffic Safety Culture Research Institute, affiliated with Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, the supply of shared electric scooters has increased, and related traffic accidents have surged 2.5 times over the past three years.

Based on Seoul city statistics, the number of shared electric scooters increased from 150 units in 2018 to a total of 55,499 units in Seoul alone as of June 2021.

Traffic accidents involving electric scooters reported through Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance's auto insurance increased from 878 cases in 2019 to 1,447 cases in 2020, and further to 2,177 cases last year.

The institute emphasized that considering the rising trend of electric scooter accidents and the domestic usage conditions, there is a significant risk of harm to pedestrians and cyclists.

The maximum allowed speed for electric scooters in South Korea is 25 km/h, which is faster than the average speed of bicycles (15 km/h).

Previous research results indicate that when a personal mobility device traveling at 25 km/h collides with a pedestrian, the likelihood of the pedestrian sustaining serious injuries reaches 95%.

According to last year's safety survey on electric scooter operation by the Korea Consumer Agency, 69% of users operated electric scooters on sidewalks where riding is prohibited.

In light of these domestic conditions, the institute argued that the maximum speed of electric scooters should be lowered from the current 25 km/h to 20 km/h.

Jeon Je-ho, lead researcher at the Samsung Traffic Safety Culture Research Institute, stated, "Considering the domestic road conditions and electric scooter operation environment, Article 2 of the Road Traffic Act should be amended to reduce the maximum speed," adding, "Before the law is revised, it is desirable for the shared service industry to take the lead in lowering the maximum speed."

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