I’m unsure how the risk compares to an e-bike.

Assuming speeds are equal I think the consequences of a crash are better on a scooter. You don’t have a crossbar between your legs to trip you as you fall, and you start in a standing position, so you’re more likely to land on your feet. Also your head and shoulders are above the cars so you’re less likely to end up under the car.

Having said that I think scooter crashes are more likely given the tiny wheels and less stable frame. Try riding an e scooter without hands. It doesn’t self balance like a bike.

Would you want a person on an e-bike to blow past you at 40mph mere inches from your body? Because it can be a common occurrence with scooters.

It's already a common occurence with e-bikes so not much difference.

E-bikes have relatively huge wheels. These interact with any bumbs, curbwalls, pot-holes, rocks in much more safe manner. This with stability makes them to me much safer.

Still does not do much difference when crashing to someone or something or someone crashing into you.

I was on a road bike with a peloton and half of us hit a pothole that was ~25cm deep when going at 50kmh. We had a few popped tubes and a damaged (but rideable) wheel.

Good luck on a scooter. You’re a meat pencil.

I think the part that saved you here is going 50 kmph. I've wiped out on 2.5 cm at half those speeds.

Yes the determining factor is the length of the pothole, ie distance traveled over air, together with speed, which determines how far you fall before hitting the other side.

> ~25cm deep

can this still be called a pothole, lol? at which point does a pothole become a hole...

After 4 crashes, I can tell you the likelihood of you dismounting a 10mph+ scooter graciously on your feet running is very, very unlikely.

> so you’re more likely to land on your feet

Try jumping of a car at 25kmh. You'll be on your feet for some time indeed, the next step is both your wrist buckling (or snapping) because you'll instinctively put your hands up, and after that your head contacting the ground. Even at 15kmh I doubt most people would handle that gracefully.

From what I gather the injuries are similar, but escooters are used by more diverse people whereas regular bicycles are more of a lifestyle choice, much more nighttime accidents and accidents involving alcohol

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-12627-x

You can land on your feet but you have to see the crash coming. You will also basically create a runaway scooter that might hit someone as you jump off. This won't work on s pot hole you missed that basically ate your entire front tire catapulting you forward with no warning. I have had both happen to me and my wife driving around the city.

Yeah I’m a scooter rider and there’s no way I would get on a scooter going that fast, even with protective equipment. Much less use it around other people.

They should move slower, not faster

There is nothing that prevent a scooter from being build with larger wheels and a longer wheelbase. In fact that used to be how human powered scooters were built a few decades ago. It would not help the rider steer with his legs like a motorbike but this is at least what I would do if I was looking to break speed records.

I think even a 20 mile an hour crash can do quite a bit of damage. It doesn't take much to crack a skull or break some bones.

My response to any kind of scooter has always been "No thanks. I like having teeth.". Just not worth it to me. I'll use an ebike if I need to. Feels much more stable to me.

I know two people who required surgery after scooter crashes. One was facial reconstruction surgery.