There is a growing number of scooter accidents involving children under 14 in Hungary

The number of people injured in electric scooter accidents has increased by 10 percent this year compared with 2025, while the proportion of victims under the age of 14 has doubled compared with the same period last year, according to data from the National Institute of Traumatology.

The Budapest Dr. Jenő Manninger Trauma Centre said that fractures of the collarbone, ankle, forearm and wrist require specialist medical treatment. Facial and head injuries are also common among e-scooter users, often caused by getting caught in potholes or on the edge of the road. While limb injuries generally heal well, facial injuries do not always heal without leaving scars. The most dangerous, however, are head injuries, which can have permanent and severe consequences, including disability or death.

In a study published last year, the trauma centre’s neurosurgical research team examined the types of injuries sustained by cyclists, electric scooter users and conventional scooter users. During the period studied, 1,938 accidents were recorded: 1,378 involved bicycles, 370 electric scooters and 190 conventional scooters. One of the study’s key findings was the strong association between e-scooter injuries and alcohol consumption. More than a quarter of electric scooter users had consumed alcohol before their accident, compared with less than 5 percent of cyclists involved in accidents, the researchers reported.

Last week, Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that the government would amend and tighten Hungary’s Highway Code (KRESZ) in an effort to significantly reduce the number of scooter-related accidents. Under the government’s proposal, motorised scooters would be classified as a separate vehicle category, subject to specific regulations. Before being officially adopted, the proposed regulation will undergo another round of public consultation.

Public consultation on the draft legislation governing electric scooter use has already begun on the government’s official website, kormany.hu. The government is accepting feedback until November 5. Until now, scooter use has not been specifically regulated under traffic legislation, but this is set to change with the planned amendments to the Highway Code.

According to the latest statement from Bethesda Children’s Hospital, 202 children required medical treatment for electric scooter-related accidents between March and September this year. During some emergency shifts, as many as five or six children arrived with serious injuries sustained while riding e-scooters. One in five cases involved a head injury, while 11 children were in serious or life-threatening condition.

The range of injuries caused by electric scooter accidents is wide, extending from minor skin and soft tissue injuries to blunt trauma affecting the respiratory tract, chest and abdomen. The number of serious accidents requiring surgery is also increasing. Young people are significantly more likely than adults to suffer bruises and fractures. Facial and head injuries are particularly common, indicating a lack of helmet use. In one case, a minor patient even lost one of their kidneys.

Estimates suggest that around 150 children are treated every month in Budapest alone for similar accidents, the hospital said.

According to the hospital’s summary, most injuries affect the upper limbs (32 percent), with forearm and radius fractures, elbow bruising and shoulder injuries being particularly common. One in five cases involved a head injury, such as a concussion or skull contusion. Lower limb injuries included ankle sprains, knee injuries and fractures of the lower leg, while several children also suffered facial or torso injuries.

Some 5.5 percent of cases required surgical intervention. Triage data showed that most injuries were classified as moderate or mild, but one in every 20 children was in serious or life-threatening condition.

A study published in September by experts from the Institute for Transport Sciences and Quality Control in Construction, Hungarian Public Roads, the Association of Hungarian Insurance Companies and Széchenyi István University highlighted that micromobility is no longer simply a fashionable alternative means of transport, but has become a complex professional, legal and infrastructure-related challenge.

According to the study, the involvement of micromobility devices in road accidents increased steadily between January 1, 2024 and May 31, 2026, rising from 5.7 percent in 2024 to 10.2 percent by May 2026. The number of people injured also increased: 784 in 2024, 1,174 in 2025, and a further 543 in the first five months of this year.

The analysis found that approximately 90 percent of personal injury accidents caused by micromobility device users during the period examined could be attributed to four main causes. In the case of motorised scooters, the most significant factor was clearly inappropriate speed selection.

An analysis of injured people by age group showed that adults and older people were primarily affected in accidents involving electrically assisted bicycles. In contrast, the 11–18 age group clearly dominated among motorised scooter users. A similar age distribution was observed among those responsible for accidents involving these devices, although in the case of motorised scooters, the proportion shifted more towards the 15–18 age group.

The study also noted that the number of these devices has risen steadily in recent years. Estimates suggest that more than 100,000–120,000 electric scooters are privately owned in Hungary, although the intensity of their use is unknown.

According to data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), there were 367 motorised scooter accidents in 2024, rising to 635 in 2025. By the end of July this year, a further 537 accidents had already been recorded.

Under an EU directive, since May 17, 2024, compulsory third-party motor insurance has also been required for certain micromobility devices meeting specific criteria. This applies to vehicles weighing more than 25 kilograms with a maximum design speed exceeding 14 km/h, as well as vehicles weighing up to 25 kilograms with a maximum design speed exceeding 25 km/h.

In early October, Dávid Vitézy, Minister for Transport and Investment, announced that more than 300,000 people had completed the road safety questionnaire published on the government’s website. As part of the survey, 94 percent of respondents supported taking urgent action to address issues related to electric scooters.