The serious injury of a 12-year-old boy in Aspropyrgos, who was struck by a car while riding a scooter and is currently hospitalized in critical condition, intubated with severe traumatic brain injuries, fractures, and chest injuries, has once again brought the issue of minors’ safety on electric and conventional scooters into sharp focus. The child was initially taken to Thriasio Hospital and was later transferred to the “Aglaia Kyriakou” Children’s Hospital due to the severity of his condition.
The incident comes just days after the fatal injury of a 13-year-old boy in Ilia. The minor was riding a scooter toward the center of the village when, while attempting to avoid a parked vehicle, he moved into the opposite lane and collided head-on with an oncoming car.
These two incidents are part of a broader and alarming trend being recorded by pediatric hospitals across the country. According to data from the Emergency Department of the “Agia Sofia” Children’s Hospital, 114 cases involving injuries to children and teenagers from conventional or electric scooters were recorded between January 2023 and March 2026, according to a report by Kathimerini. The increase has been steady each year: 24 incidents in 2023, 29 in 2024, and 35 in 2025.
The Agia Sofia Children’s Hospital alone recorded 26 injuries involving minors riding scooters during the first quarter of 2026, compared to just 24 cases during the entirety of 2023.
Particular concern is being raised by the fact that in just the first three months of 2026, the number of incidents has already surpassed the total recorded for all of 2023. Nearly eight out of ten injured minors are boys, who account for 76.3% of the cases.
Against this backdrop, the government is considering stricter regulations regarding scooter use by minors. The Minister of Citizen Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, stated that new legislation is being prepared that would ban minors from riding scooters on roads used by motor vehicles, allowing their use only in pedestrian zones, squares, and supervised recreational areas.
He also expressed support for a much stricter regulatory framework, emphasizing that “it is tragic for children to lose their lives on the roads because of scooters.” At the same time, he left open the possibility of creating dedicated lanes exclusively for bicycles and scooters, warning that without separate infrastructure, “I fear that lives will be lost.”
Sources: Kathimerini [1], [2], [3]
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