The central research question was why young riders, especially at night, decide for or against using an e-scooter in specific situations. The researchers found that the decision is usually made at short notice and according to the situation at hand. The two main influencing factors are peers and the alternative means of transport available. Interestingly, young e-scooter riders are generally very much aware of the risks involved.

The study shows that young adults know what is allowed and what is not. They rarely underestimate the risks and generally follow the rules. However, situational factors such as long waiting times for a bus, considerable walking distances or the spontaneous availability of e-scooters on the street make them appear the most attractive option. This means that the decision to use or not to use an e-scooter at night – unlike many other decisions – is not primarily guided by insight or knowledge, but is made situationally based on the immediate conditions at hand.

The fact that situational and social factors have such a big impact came as a surprise to project leader Markus Hackenfort: “I had rather expected, as is often the case, that personal attitudes would have a stronger protective effect. Young adults generally know pretty well what the legal consequences are of riding an e-scooter while drunk at night. However, the situation, in other words the desire to get from point A to point B quickly, appears to hold the most weight in the decision they make.”

Another key finding is that an individual’s social environment also has a strong influence on their decision-making – both in a protective and risk-promoting sense. When travelling in a group that prefers to take the bus, individuals are less likely to hop on an e-scooter. Conversely, the likelihood of using an e-scooter increases if others in the group also do so.

The research findings suggest that new approaches for prevention are needed. Project leader Markus Hackenfort from the ZHAW explains: “Instead of relying solely on rules and bans that are difficult to monitor and enforce, we should create conditions that make it easier for people to make safe decisions at the very moment they need to take them.” Prevention measures should no longer focus exclusively on promoting general awareness, but should more directly influence the decision-making situation itself. This means that mobility decisions need to be guided at an earlier stage – ideally before going out. Those who think about getting home while sober are less prone to making spontaneous and potentially risky decisions. At the same time, there needs to be more information about safer alternatives. These also need to be made more attractive, for example by reducing waiting times for public transport or making alternative options more visible. 

In a second sub-project, focus will now be turned to the development, implementation and evaluation of target-group-specific measures aimed at preventing e-scooter accidents. Funding for this second sub-project is currently being clarified.

The aim of this research project was to conduct both quantitative and qualitative analysis of the conditions that increase the level of risk for e-scooter riders. Prior to the project, data on this issue had not been available in this level of detail. The methods used to collect this data were also new: video-analytical observations during the day and, in particular, at night in the cities of Zurich, Bern and Basel, systematic experimental variations of the conditional factors, and surveys in combination with behavioural observations.

Three universities from three different countries joined forces for this research project: the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) – Human Factors Psychology, the Technical University of Dresden and the Technical University of Denmark. 

The results of the study, funded by the AXA Prevention Foundation, provide new insights for evidence-based prevention work and safe urban mobility. 

Further information on the research project can be found here (in German).