A study conducted by Umivale Activa, on the occasion of the European Mobility Week, reveals that bicycles and scooters continue to be the fourth type of vehicle that generates the most occupational traffic accidents with sick leave, only surpassed by automobiles, motorcycles and light cargo or passenger vehicles. Over the course of eight years, lost-time occupational road traffic accidents related to these vehicles have increased by 203%, from 1,537 in 2016 to 4,656 in 2023.
La mayor parte de estos accidentes sigue ocurriendo durante los desplazamientos de ida o vuelta al trabajo. De hecho, el 89,1% de los accidentes laborales con bicicletas y patinetes en España suceden «in itinere», mientras que el 10,9% ocurre durante la jornada laboral.
In these eight years, occupational accidents with sick leave related to these vehicles have caused the loss of a total of 1,153,914 working days, representing a 255.7% increase in days lost in 2023 compared to 2016.
In terms of gender distribution, males account for 63% of bicycle and scooter accidents, while females make up 37%.
The food and beverage services sector accounts for 16.6% of occupational traffic accidents involving these vehicles, with salaried waiters and salespersons in stores and warehouses accounting for 18.5% of the accident rate.
New audiovisual: Preventive measures in the use of scooters
José Luis Cebrián, coordinator of the Preventive Activities Service of Umivale Activa, highlights the importance of "continuing to promote awareness and prevention campaigns to improve road safety education and reduce accident rates".
On the occasion of World Car Free Day and European Mobility Week, the mutual company has launched a new interactive audiovisual within the #DriveSafe campaign.
"This audiovisual is focused on road safety for personal mobility vehicles. It includes interactive questions that allow the user to consolidate knowledge and make learning more dynamic," explains Cebrián.
Among the main causes of accidents involving scooters are: collisions due to lack of visibility, collisions with other vehicles due to failure to keep a safe distance, accidents with car doors that open without looking, or collisions with pedestrians.
The most frequent infractions among electric scooter users include riding without a helmet, using prohibited areas such as sidewalks or interurban roads, exceeding the permitted speed, modifying the scooter to increase its power, carrying more passengers than authorized, not using lights or reflective clothing, riding with a cell phone or headphones, or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Therefore, some recommendations for the safe use of scooters are: check the condition of the tires and brakes before going out, wear an approved helmet, wear reflective clothing if riding on interurban roads, and ensure proper lighting, especially when riding at night, since "it is as important to see as to be seen", emphasizes Cebrián.
In addition, the use of headphones connected to devices is prohibited, as well as the use of cell phones while driving.
When riding a scooter, it is important to remember that it is forbidden to ride on crossings, interurban roads, highways, freeways, urban tunnels, sidewalks or pedestrian areas, and that the speed must not exceed 25 kilometers per hour.
On the part of the companies, it is recommended that workers be trained and informed periodically about the risks of their jobs, with special attention to road safety and accident prevention when using these vehicles.
It is also recommended that companies offer flexible schedules, provide safe parking spaces for scooters and integrate road safety into occupational risk prevention management.
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Source: Galilea Group
