Israeli police have reported that there have been 373 accidents involving electric scooters, or e-scooters, that have left people severely injured in 2019. According to the statement issued by the police, this number has more than doubled since 2018.

The statement aligned with the opening of road-safety-week in Israel. According to the Road Safety Authority, last year there were 9.429 accidents that took place on Israel’s roads wherein people suffered injuries.

This year, there have already been 300 people killed in motor vehicle accidents, a number that is 26 higher than last year, a rise of almost 10 percent.

961 accidents took place involving electric bicycles within the first 9 months of the year alone. This is a drastic decrease from last year. However, a sharp increase was reported in the number of accidents involving e-scooters.

Last Thursday, Roee Avraham Z”L was killed in an e-scooter accident. His was the second fatality of the year. Roee’s mother wrote a pain-filled letter on Facebook just one hour after Roee was pronounced dead, in which she pleaded to outlaw e-scooters.

“This morning my world was destroyed,” she wrote. “My eldest son, Roee, passed from this world after he was hit by a car while riding on an e-scooter. I call upon anyone who can hear me, to put an end to the e-scooters. I have been in Ichilov hospital for just a few days and I hear countless stories of tragedies and disasters similar to what happened to us. And why? Why did my child die? It boils my blood to know that this cursed device has been allowed into our country and makes our children sitting ducks in a firing range, exposed on the road. There is no mandatory law enforcing riders to wear helmets, or a vibrant vest or even to have lights. The very basic standards for other motorized vehicles. Don’t close your eyes and turn away from the problem because the price is too great. The price that I have paid today, no mother should ever have to pay.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)