New data from the first three quarters of 2023 show a sharp rise in accidents involving personal mobility devices such as electric scooters and unicycles. The trend indicates a threefold increase compared with the same stretch of time a year earlier, a pattern highlighted by Kommersant and correlated with statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
From January through September 2023, Russia recorded about 2,600 incidents involving personal mobility devices. This figure marks a threefold jump from the previous year. Notably, roughly a quarter of these crashes happened on sidewalks, pedestrian paths, or zones designated for foot traffic, while more than one-fifth occurred at controlled pedestrian crossings.
Within major regions, Moscow reported a dramatic surge, with accidents involving personal mobility devices increasing by 235 percent year over year to 665 cases—the highest tally among all regions. Tyumen followed with 184 incidents, showing a striking 308 percent rise, and St. Petersburg stood in third place with 172 cases and a 48 percent increase.
A Krasnoyarsk resident was reported to have damaged 11 parked vehicles in a separate incident linked to the use of such devices.