Traffic accidents involving personal mobility devices, such as electric scooters, quadrupled from 2018 to 2020, government data showed, raising alarm over the safety of riders.

According to the data from the National Police Agency, disclosed by Rep. Huh Young of the Democratic Party, the number of traffic accidents involving electric scooters and other personal mobility devices came to 897 in 2020, up nearly fourfold from 225 in 2018.

During the same time period, the annual number of injuries among riders of such devices rose sharply from 238 to 895 and deaths rose from four to 10. (Yonhap)