There are a lot of news reports in the DMV about electronic scooter accidents. These scooters are becoming a serious safety hazard for drivers and riders alike – and the ways the crashes occur and the types of injuries sustained vary greatly.
Common Causes of E-Scooter Accidents
- Rider inexperience or unfamiliarity with the scooter’s operation
- Distracted riding, such as using a phone while operating a scooter
- Riding under the influence
- Poorly maintained scooters or malfunctioning parts
- Hazardous road conditions, such as potholes or debris
- Collisions with motor vehicles, pedestrians, or other scooter riders
- Failure to follow traffic laws or yield the right-of-way
In the News Recently
On October 9, 2026, news broke that DC city official Talib Shakir was killed in Southeast DC when the scooter he was riding was hit by a rider on another electronic scooter. Fortunately, the female rider survived the accident, which happened inside an intersection. The crash occurred near the Eastern Market Metro Station. Police on the scene told news reporters neither rider was wearing a helmet at the time. Investigations of the incident are ongoing with the DC Police Major Crash Unit.
According to The Washington Post there have been 33 traffic fatalities in the District so far this year among motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, a 65% increase from the 20 at this point in 2025.
On September 25, 2026, Oludare Ayodele Adekoya was killed when he was run over by a commercial vehicle near Logan Circle.
On August 29, 2026, an e-bike crash with another cyclist occurred on the corner of 15th St. and M St. NW. The 59-year-old man was taken to the hospital where he eventually died.
On July 24, 2026, a five-year-old boy riding an electric scooter was critically injured after a driver struck him in Southeast. The boy was riding in a parking lot at Ridgecrest Court when a dark blue Nissan ran into him. The driver of the vehicle left the scene.
On July 23, 2026, a nine-year-old boy collided with a vehicle in a neighborhood in Fairfax County. The driver of this vehicle, a minivan, stayed on the scene. The child was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.
In June of this year, Jayquan Alexander Sweat died after a collision in which he lost control of his e-bike in Southeast. Police stated the rider failed to navigate a bend in the road and hit a curb, which threw him into a metal trash can.
Shared Fleet Devices Amendment of 2020
The increasing popularity of electric scooters prompted the DC Council to pass the Shared Fleet Devices Amendment Act of 2020. The law requires a shared fleet service device permit for the operation of an SFD fleet.
“Personal mobility device” or “PMD” means a motorized propulsion device that is designed to transport only one person that weighs 60 pounds or more; or is a self-balancing, two non-tandem wheeled device.
PMDs do not include battery-operated wheelchairs or motorized bicycles.
The Act specifies that in order to operate an SFD (shared fleet device) fleet, operators will:
- Pay a performance bond to the District to provide fleet and trip data and complaint statistics to the Director of the District Department of Transportation
- Require each operator to keep at least 3% of its fleet in each ward between 5:00 am and 7:00 am each day
- Prohibit operators from deploying electric mobility devices within 300 feet of elementary, middle schools, or senior wellness centers unless that space is located near a metro rail station entrance
- Require operators to maintain a 24-hour toll-free customer service line for the public to report inoperable or illegally parked shared fleet devices and other complaints
- Move the SDFs within two hours of being notified they are illegally parked
- Permit operators to provide optional, free virtual classes on how to safely operate the SFDs
- Require SFDs to have proper lighting and reflectors
- Require the Director of DDT to construct signage or create conspicuous pavement markings alerting the SFD users when they are entering the Central Business District
- Require the DDT to construct at least 1,000 racks a year until 2025 for parking electric mobility devices
- Require SFDs to be locked to an object with at least three feet of unobstructed pedestrian walkway
Important to Note
Riders of electric mobility devices shall have the same rights and duties as a pedestrian.
What Motorists Need to Know – Accident Guide for DC
- There are thousands of rental scooters from Lime, Bird, Spin and others. Recently, accidents between scooters and drivers have become more common. If you hit a scooter rider or a scooter rider hits your car, the process to follow is similar to a car accident – call 911 for any injury and exchange information.
- The District of Columbia is a contributory negligence jurisdiction, meaning if the scooter rider was even partially at fault, they may not be able to recover damages. However, there are different circumstances. If a scooter ran a red light or was riding illegally, the scooter rider may be at fault. If a motorist hits a scooter rider who was following the rules, the motorist may be at fault.
- Even minor scooter collisions can cause damage to vehicles such as dented body panels, cracked bumper covers, and scratched paint.
