Odesa Region has become the leader in the number of traffic accidents caused by electric scooter riders

The number of traffic accidents caused by electric scooter drivers in the Odesa region between January 2025 and May 2026 reached 23.

According to analysts from the OpenDataBot platform, the region ranked first in Ukraine in terms of this indicator.

In 2025, 11 such accidents were recorded in the Odesa region, and 12 since the beginning of 2026. Lviv Oblast came in second with 16 such accidents, and Vinnytsia Oblast came in third with nine. The top five also included Volyn Oblast (5 and 3 cases) and Kyiv Oblast (7 and 1 case).

In Mykolaiv Oblast, there were significantly fewer such accidents over the entire period than in Odesa Oblast—three. In the Kherson region—none. Apart from regions with active hostilities, the Chernivtsi region became the only region where, over the past 1.5 years, not a single court case has been recorded regarding traffic accidents caused by electric scooter drivers.

PHOTO: Opendatabot

Mostly, courts hear cases involving traffic violations that led to accidents—57 cases over the past 1.5 years. The second most common category involves driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs—47 cases during the period under review. The penalty is standard in most cases—a fine of 17,000 hryvnias. For example, in Odesa, police stopped an electric scooter rider who had a blood alcohol level of 0.65. The man claimed he was merely pushing the scooter alongside him, but video footage proved otherwise. As a result, the court imposed a fine of 17,000 hryvnias. 

If the violation is repeated within a year, the penalty becomes significantly harsher. For instance, in Odesa, patrol officers stopped a driver of a JET electric scooter who showed clear signs of intoxication. During the check, the man refused to undergo a breathalyzer test and later fled the scene. In court, it was revealed that less than a year earlier, he had already been punished for a similar violation. The court found the driver guilty, imposed a fine of 34,000 hryvnias, and revoked his driver’s license for three years.

Courts have reviewed at least 132 cases involving accidents with electric scooters over the past year and a half. In 79% of these accidents, the drivers of electric scooters were at fault—104 cases. In nearly one in three such cases, minors were involved in the accident: 38 accidents, or 29% of the cases that went to court. In 66 court cases last year and 38 this year, electric scooter riders were found at fault for the accidents.

Кирило Бойко