Accidents have included broken bones and concussions, while the issues – which mainly relate to rental varieties of e-scooters – affect not only Tallinn but other towns such as Pärnu.

One of these was fatal: A woman died from injuries sustained in early July after falling from an e-scooter she was riding in Tallinn.

Most other accidents are minor, AK reported, while alcohol use also plays a role.

Despite a greater awareness of safety concerns and e-scooter etiquette since rental e-scooters first started appearing in the summer of 2019, the rate of accidents and incidents does not seem to be falling.

According to Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) statistics, this year has seen the highest number of electric scooter accidents in the past four years. The majority of accidents occurred in May and June, with 35 percent more incidents registered compared to the previous year.

The issue also affects other cities, such as Estonia's summer capital, Pärnu.

Eivo Evertsoo, field manager at the Pärnu PPA station, said: "It is difficult to pinpoint a single cause. Certainly, the increase in the number of electric scooters plays a role. There may also be more reports made to the police or emergency services about accidents."

"Alcohol is definitely a factor. This is particularly evident on weekends when the number of traffic accidents involving electric scooter riders increases, directly linked to alcohol consumption," Evertsoo added.

Raul Adlas, head of the Tallinn Ambulance service (Tallinna kiirabi), conversely said there has actually been a slight fall in the number of accidents this year – to 195 in the first half of the year in the capital, compared with 230 over the same time-frame two years ago.

The majority of cases involve falls from an e-scooter, a two-wheeled vehicle which in the case of the rental variety often have maintenance issues, and yet are capable of attaining speeds of over 20 kilometers per hour on sidewalks used by other members of the public.

Collisions are the other major cause of accidents.

The severity of injuries also depends on whether the scooter rider was sober or intoxicated, Adlas said.

"A sober rider usually has a quicker reaction time and can better cushion the fall with their hands," he said.

"An intoxicated rider often travels at higher speeds and is less cautious when falling, which often results in injuries which require longer treatment: Typically fractures or concussions," Adlas added.

Scooter riders could wear helmets to aid with safety, he said, and the rental companies have a role to play, as does local government.

For example, in Pärnu rental e-scooters in the city center are subject to a speed limit, and their use on the boardwalk is forbidden – the e-scooter's positioning system means the motor will actually cut out if the rider brings it to that zone.

Even then, issues such as riding at excessive speeds, parking in inappropriate places such as in front of gates or on sidewalks and roadways, persist in the southwestern Estonian town.

Toomas Tammela, traffic specialist at the City of Pärnu, told AK: "The city will consider this feedback and take these factors into account in its future contracts."

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