Three agencies count scooter and e-bike collisions in the Phoenix area, and none of them publishes one official total. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) counts police-reported crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) counts deadly collisions involving a motor vehicle. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates emergency room injuries.
A solo fall with no police report can show up only in the CPSC's injury estimates. This guide explains what scooter accident statistics for the Phoenix area can and cannot tell you, where riders tend to get hit, which injuries are common, and how a bicycle accident lawyer at Valley Accident Law looks at fault.
What Are the Scooter Accident Statistics for the Phoenix Area?
Scooter accident statistics count the crashes, injuries and deaths that involve electric scooters, e-bikes and other micromobility vehicles (small, light vehicles ridden on streets and paths). Three named sources do the counting, and each covers something different:
- ADOT. Its annual Arizona Motor Vehicle Crash Facts reports are built from police crash reports, so a crash that nobody reported to police is missing.
- NHTSA. Its Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) records fatal collisions on public roads that involve a motor vehicle. A rider who dies in a solo fall is not counted.
- CPSC. Its National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) produces national estimates from a sample of hospital emergency departments, not a Phoenix count.
A figure from one source cannot be added to a figure from another. Before you rely on any number, check who counted it, which year it covers, whether it includes e-scooters, e-bikes or both, and whether it counts crashes, injuries or deaths. We do not print a single headline total here, because these counts cannot be combined.
How Common Are Electric Scooter Accidents in Arizona?
Electric scooter accidents happen wherever riders and cars share space, and the count follows usage. Rental fleets in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe put many first-time riders on electric scooters. These e-scooter accidents can involve a driver who never saw a smaller rider, or a rider who hit a crack, curb or gravel patch. Solo falls rarely make it into a police-reported count, so ADOT's reports alone understate scooter accidents.
E-Bike Crash Counts: E Bike Accidents Statistics in Arizona
Searches for e bike accidents statistics tend to turn up national headlines. For Arizona, start with ADOT's crash facts reports and check how each defines an e-bike, because a pedal-assist bike and a throttle-powered one are not always counted alike.
How Many E-Bike Deaths per Year in Arizona and Nationwide?
If you want to know how many e bike deaths per year, the answer depends on the source and the year. NHTSA's FARS counts deaths in collisions on public roads that involve a motor vehicle. The CPSC's micromobility reports count deaths tied to the products themselves, and those can include sidewalk and trail incidents. Compare one source against itself across the same years, and check whether it separates e-bikes from e-scooters before you quote it.
Are E-Scooter Deaths Increasing? How to Read the Trend
Whether e scooter deaths are rising depends on both the count and the number of riders. More rental electric scooters and more rides can push totals up even if the risk on each trip stays flat. Compare the same years in ADOT's reports and in FARS, remembering that FARS leaves out falls with no motor vehicle involved.
Where Do Phoenix Area Cyclists and Scooter Riders Get Hit?
The same handful of settings come up again and again. The table lists them as common patterns, not a ranking by count, because we do not publish crash counts we cannot source.
| Where it happens | Typical collision | Why riders are hard to see | |---|---|---| | Intersections and turn lanes | A driver turns left or right across the rider's path | Drivers look for cars and miss smaller riders | | Driveways and parking lot exits | A driver pulls out into a rider on the sidewalk or bike lane | Walls, landscaping and parked cars block the view | | Fast arterial roads | A driver passes or merges into a rider | Higher speeds cut reaction time and raise severity | | Sidewalks and crosswalks | A rider who rides on the sidewalk meets a turning driver or a pedestrian | Sidewalk riders appear suddenly at crossings |
A painted bike lane that ends at an intersection pushes bicycles and scooters into the same space as turning cars.
What Are the Most Common Electric Scooter Injuries?
Electric scooter injuries from falls and collisions include head injuries and fractures, among a few other categories.
- Head injuries. Concussions (a brain injury from a blow or jolt), skull injuries and facial trauma are common. A helmet may reduce the risk, but riders who wear one can still be hurt.
- Fractures. Broken wrists, forearms, collarbones and ankles are common when riders put a hand out to break a fall.
- Road rash and dental trauma. Deep scrapes can scar, and a fall onto the face can break teeth or the jaw.
Injuries can show only minor symptoms at first, even after real trauma, so see a medical professional even if you feel mostly fine. That record also documents the injury if you later bring a personal injury claim.
What Should I Do After an Electric Scooter or E-Bike Crash in Phoenix?
- Call 911 and ask for a police report.
- Get checked by a medical professional. Do this even if you feel mostly fine.
- Document the scene. If it is safe, photograph the vehicles, the plate, the road, your scooter or bike and your injuries. Collect witness names and numbers.
- Keep your gear. Do not repair or throw away the scooter, e-bike or helmet. If you were on a rental, report the crash through the app. Who pays after a rental scooter crash depends on the rental terms, the driver's insurance and your own coverage.
- Be careful with insurers. Do not sign a release until you understand it.
- Call us. You can call 602-584-8054 any time.
Who Is at Fault When a Driver Hits a Scooter Rider or Cyclist in Phoenix?
Fault depends on the evidence, not on the type of vehicle. Arizona follows pure comparative fault (A.R.S. 12-2505), so a jury or an insurer can assign each person a percentage of blame. Your compensation is reduced by your share, and no cutoff bars you from recovering because you were partly at fault. Under Arizona comparative negligence rules, a rider found one third at fault would see the award drop by that one third. That is an illustration only, not a prediction of any case.
Can I Get Compensation After a Scooter or E-Bike Accident in Arizona?
Possibly, depending on the facts. A claim may seek medical bills, lost wages, reduced earning capacity (a lasting loss of the ability to earn), and pain and suffering. The money can come from the driver's insurer or from your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. If a driver fled, contact is not required for an uninsured motorist claim, but you must corroborate that the other vehicle caused the crash (A.R.S. 20-259.01(M)).
Deadlines matter. In most Arizona injury cases, the deadline to sue is generally two years from the date of injury (A.R.S. 12-542). A claim against a city, county, the state or a public employee generally needs a written notice of claim within 180 days that states a specific dollar amount (A.R.S. 12-821.01), and a lawsuit within one year (A.R.S. 12-821). Uninsured and underinsured claims carry a double deadline: written notice to your own insurer is due within three years (A.R.S. 12-555), and an underinsured claim also needs a claim with the at-fault driver's insurer, or a lawsuit against that driver, within the two-year period. Call early.
You pay no attorney fee unless we recover money for you. No attorney can promise a result.
Scooter Accident Statistics: Your Questions Answered
How safe is a scooter?
Safety depends on the rider, the speed, the road and the traffic. Electric scooters have small wheels that can catch on cracks and gravel, and riders have no frame around them in a collision. Higher speeds raise the odds of fractures and head injuries. A helmet, lower speeds and separated paths lower the risk but do not remove it.
Who pays if I am hurt on a rental scooter?
It depends on the rental terms, the driver's insurance if a driver caused the crash, and your own coverage. Report the crash through the app, keep your receipt and screenshots, and do not sign a release until you understand it.
Should a child ride an electric scooter?
Check the maker's age and weight label and the local rules, and supervise young riders on short rides. Arizona has no statewide bicycle helmet law, but some places set helmet rules for minors: Scottsdale for bicycles, and Gilbert, Mesa and Peoria for e-bikes and scooters. If a child is hurt, do not wait until age 18 to call, because a parent's own claim for medical bills is not paused.
Talk With Valley Accident Law About Your Scooter or Bike Crash
If you were hurt on a rental scooter, or a driver's insurer is blaming you for not being seen, call Valley Accident Law at 602-584-8054. The first consultation is free, and filing deadlines can pass quickly, so you can also request a free case review to find out where your claim stands.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
