The Truth Behind Electric Scooter Accident Rates and Their Impact on Shared Mobility Operations

Studies show electric scooter accidents are increasing across Europe. Recent information shows that electric scooters stand out in terms of drivers and accident patterns. 

Researchers at Chalmers in Gothenburg and at the Swedish Transport Administration have analysed 204 fatal accidents and the outcomes are surprising. The research involved electric scooters, electric bicycles and regular bicycles in Sweden between 2016 and 2024. 

From the research, electric scooters stand out the most. A large proportion of drivers were under the influence of alcohol when they ended up in fatal accidents. 

We see that a lot of people are using rented scooters, so the logical assumption would be that they cause a lot of scooter accidents. But it has been the opposite. At least in Sweden.

A lot of these accidents occurred with privately owned electric scooters. Public debate is mostly ongoing about rental scooters but research says something else. 

Risk is Not Evenly Distributed

The Swedish research highlights that risk is not evenly distributed across the category, but reactive models price it as they were.

Traditional insurance relies on historical data which is meant to fit one-size-fits-all. They rely on broad accident statistics that don’t distinguish between a privately owned and a rental vehicle. Meaning their risk management can only be reactive, acting as an ‘after the fact’. 

Rigid insurance conditions have been leading to a hostile scaling environment for operators. Increasingly, micromobility operators are leaving cities or exiting entire countries. In some cases, leaving cities or countries as insurance requirements tighten.

In addition, the industry is facing tighter regulations from above that are putting pressure on operators to take risk management seriously or be excluded from activities. As seen in Paris, which was the first city to welcome electric scooters and announced a total ban already in 2023. Reactive risk management is no longer acceptable if one wants to win and main strategic tenders.

Prevention technology is essential to reinvent how we think about doing business in insurance.

From Reactive to Proactive Risk Control

Shared mobility fleets face challenges traditional insurance don’t take into account. 

Unpredictable usage with long inactive periods followed by peak surges. Multi-driver exposure meaning each driver brings different risk profiles. Vague liability, who is responsible off-trip vs. on-trip. False claims are easier to miss without solid data. Lastly, there’s regulatory pressure which means tougher compliance across cities. 

If your insurer lacks understanding in any of these, it will result in higher premiums, unstable loss ratios, and tighter margins for shared mobility fleets. 

But more is needed to turn better oversight into meaningful risk control. Proactive risk control requires actionable recommendations tailored to your operations. Such as those based on individual driving profiles and asset-level feedback to give the intelligence to make the right decisions before risk becomes a claim. 

Instead of supporting the public debate on worst cases, fleet operators armed with the right solutions can generate asset level data that shows their actual risk profile. Using this to define, defend and refine your insurance programme over time. 

How Cachet Helped Bolt, Using Insights to Slash Costs

Bolt was able to make such a promise in reality through partnering with Cachet on a roll out on their Bolt Drive car-sharing product. 

As Bolt Drive expanded across Europe, a platform premium was placed on Bolt Drive’s insurance. Higher costs resulted from an outdated risk profile. The payment model increased pressure on Bolt’s operations. Insurance providers demanded large upfront payments for all vehicles at the year’s start. This clashed with Bolt’s actual needs.

With Cachet they got responsive claims control, with customised and data-driven insurance solutions. Helping Bolt to understand the habits behind the claims that came in. This solved the knowledge gap between the insurer and the platform. 

Additionally, Bolt was able to manage their insurance costs via monthly subscription. This solved the challenges of big annual insurance payments. 

Overall, by introducing quality insurance technology solutions to the operations Bolt was able to secure better insurance conditions immediately whilst building confidence for future collaboration with insurers as they expanded across markets. 

Shifting From Reactive to Proactive Risk Management with Adaptive Insurance 

Many losses are preventable when using the right technology. Data-driven and predictive insights give more possibilities within insurance. 

Cachet’s insurance solutions combine data models with real-world usage. Meaning there’s no assumptions about risk, the models have been built from actual data. 

Adaptive insurance makes you pay for actual usage and risk. Assets not on the road? No problem, insurance adjusted as a result. Change in weather that needs fast adjustment with the fleet? With Cachet you can get the coverage fast whenever you need to re- or de-fleet. 

Proactive risk control technology means on top of the data models, there’s AI-powered technology that helps prevent risk before it becomes a claim, rather than just reacting after a loss happens.

On top of that you get a claims control centre for risk management that makes claims handling fast and cuts downtime. The AI powered risk control flags trends in claims as they merge but empowers with customised recommendations to take action and brings down the risk profile before your insurance costs spike. 

The solution is done keeping in mind the shared mobility, not a generic insurance product adapted to fit.