Light electric vehicles have become a fixture of daily travel across the Emirates, but a fresh look at federal crash records shows the convenience is carrying a steep safety cost. Serious incidents tied to e-scooters climbed 97 per cent between 2024 and 2025, according to Ministry of Interior figures examined by RoadSafetyUAE.
That jump dwarfed what was recorded elsewhere on the roads. Across every category of vehicle, major accidents rose 23 per cent over the same stretch. Within the micro-mobility group alone—covering motorcycles, bicycles, electric bikes and e-scooters—the increase reached 45 per cent, leaving the e-scooter figure as the clear outlier.
How residents experience these vehicles was captured separately through a perception study ordered by Al Wathba Insurance with RoadSafetyUAE, drawing responses from 1,010 people across the country. Helmets surfaced as a recurring worry, with 90 per cent saying they routinely spot riders with no head protection. An identical share reported feeling personally at risk, and 93 per cent said reckless riding was something they encounter regularly.
Other breaches showed up across the responses. Close to 89 per cent said they often see scooters used where they should not be, on footpaths or against traffic. A further 88 per cent had observed riders who looked below the legal threshold of 16, and 81 per cent noted scooters travelling after dark without lights.
For Thomas Edelmann, Founder and Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE, the two sets of findings reinforce one another. “The 2025 accident statistics paint a picture that calls for immediate attention. While e-scooters provide valuable mobility options, the data clearly shows that rider behaviour and compliance with regulations remain major challenges,” he said.
Even so, the appetite for these vehicles is plain—six in ten respondents regarded e-scooters as filling a genuine transport need. Enforcement appears visible without closing the gap: 70 per cent had seen officers acting on scooter rules, yet many felt the effort falls short. Nearly 88 per cent backed building out more dedicated lanes, crossings and zones to keep scooters apart from pedestrians and other traffic.
Al Wathba Insurance Chief Financial Officer Muralikrishnan Raman framed it as a question of balance. “There is a clear demand for e-scooters as a transport solution, but the high levels of perceived reckless riding cannot be ignored. Research like this helps identify where interventions are needed to better protect riders and the wider community,” he said.
