Building An E-Scooter Safety Culture: Temporal-Situational Crash Profiles and Data-System Readiness in Serbia
Abstract
E-scooter safety is framed as a problem of injury severity or infrastructure, although persistent risk-taking also reflects the norms and practices through which a new mode is integrated into traffic. This study examines what police-reported crash patterns can—and cannot—reveal about e-scooter safety culture in Serbia. The national database contained 282 crashes recorded between 22 July 2023 and 26 December 2025; the primary analysis used 243 crashes from the complete calendar years 2024–2025. Temporal, seasonal and site variables were analysed descriptively and by multiple correspondence analysis followed by Ward clustering. Crash severity and year were excluded from clustering and compared between profiles. The database was also audited against behaviour and compliance domains identified in the literature and Serbian regulation. Three profiles emerged: weekday warm-season mobility (50.6%), spring daytime mobility (27.2%) and weekend/night-time mobility (22.2%). KSI proportions ranged from 19.7% to 25.9% and did not differ between profiles. The audit found six directly available and two derivable indicators, while fourteen essential indicators—including helmet use, alcohol, speed, passenger carriage and vehicle conformity—were absent. Crash records can guide context-specific prevention, but direct monitoring of e-scooter safety culture requires standardised behavioural fields, exposure data, observational surveys and linkage with health records.
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References
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