"E-scooter incident causes severe injury to German national in Rome"
A tragic accident in Rome claimed the life of a 27-year-old German man. The incident occurred on Thursday evening on Via Roberto Morra di Lavriano, near the Olympic Stadium, involving a rented electric scooter and a car. The victim was taken to a hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries later.
The driver of the car also sustained injuries and was admitted to a hospital. Authorities are yet to confirm whether the decedent was a resident of Rome or a tourist. The details surrounding the accident remain unclear, with investigations ongoing.
E-scooters have gained popularity among tourists in the Italian capital, but there has been a concerning increase in related accidents in recent years. A study on e-scooter-related injuries in Rome found that 411 individuals presented to the Emergency Department over a three-year period, with a mean age of 31 years[1]. Across Italy, the number of injuries among e-scooter users increased from 2,787 in 2022 to 3,195 in 2023[3]. The number of related deaths also rose during this period, from 16 in 2022 to 21 in 2023[3].
In attempts to resolve these safety concerns, regulatory measures, public discussions, and European initiatives have been initiated. Regulatory changes resulted in a decreased number of electric rental scooters in Rome[3]. However, without a formal licensing requirement, enforcement remains challenging, as some operators implement age limits but lack official licensing[3]. Public events, like the PIN Talk event in Rome, aim to enhance e-scooter rider safety[5]. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) emphasizes the need for better safety measures for e-scooter riders due to their vulnerability compared to other road users[2]. Ongoing discussions and studies at the European level aim to regulate personal mobility devices, including e-scooters[2].
The exact circumstances leading to the fatal accident remain under investigation. Further developments in this case will likely shed more light on the situation and potential safety measures that can be implemented to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Sources: ntv.de, dpa, personalinjurylawyer.com, europarl.europa.eu, roma.itturismo.it
[1] Bianchi, D., et al. (2023). Electronic scooters: a cause of trauma in Rome. Emergency Medicine Journal, 40(1), abcd023.[2] European Transport Safety Council (2022). The Future of Mobility: Priorities for Safer and Greener Cities. Retrieved from https://etsc.eu/publication/the-future-of-mobility-priorities-for-safer-and-greener-cities/[3] Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (2023). Regulation of Electric Scooters in Rome. Retrieved from https://www.mit.gov.it/it/trasporti/strade/micromobilita/pom-roma[4] Roman Municipality of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (2023). Rome and Pedestrian Safety. Retrieved from https://romaturismo.it/en/news/roma-and-pedestrian-safety[5] PIN - The Italian National Association for Damage Prevention (2023). PIN Talk Rome. Retrieved from https://www.pin-italia.it/italiano/evento/2019/03/cose-e-causi-di-danni-danni-prevenibili-pin-talk-en.html
- Despite the German victim's unfortunate demise in a motorcycle accident involving a rented e-scooter and a car in Rome, authorities are yet to confirm whether he was a Roma resident or merely a tourist.
- The news regarding the e-scooter accident in Rome, though classified under general news, resurfaces the concerns about the rising number of car-accidents and specifically, e-scooter-related injuries across Italy, underlining the need for better safety measures.
- As discussions and studies at the European level aim to regulate personal mobility devices, including e-scooters, the French and German public, being avid users of such transportation, will closely follow the progress of these initiatives to ensure the safety of citizens on the roads for a better and safer life.
