Electric scooters have become an integral part of many European cities in recent years. You can ride them on the promenades of Nice and Larnaca, you can rent them in London, Paris and many other capitals, and finally, many people buy such scooters either for entertainment or for commuting to work. What is the attraction of these cars? They are easy to use and maintain, relatively safe (if you follow the rules of the road, wear the necessary equipment, and have common sense as a driver). There is no need to park them (and pay huge amounts of money for it), as they can usually be folded up and taken by bus or subway. The battery charge lasts for about 30 kilometers, which is enough for a day’s driving. Moreover, they do not pollute the environment, which is especially important today. At first glance, what is there to complain about?
In France it is forbidden to throw scooters anywhere, but they are still thrown, including into the canals. There is always something to complain about. Critics of electric scooters will tell you that a lot of harmful substances are released into the atmosphere during their production, and in the case of scooter rentals, they need to be moved from one parking lot to another periodically, which is done by cars that also pollute the atmosphere. In addition, users of rented scooters often abandon them carelessly, creating additional problems for cities. And when it comes to the safety of these scooters, it’s not all that simple. In Germany alone, the police recorded more than two thousand incidents involving electric scooters last year, resulting in injuries and even deaths. There have also been fatalities involving electric scooters in Brussels, Stockholm and London.
Don’t be afraid, it’s just a mannequin, but this is what can happen to a scooter rider if the rules of the road are not followed. The first known case of death of a person in a collision with an electric scooter was recorded in Barcelona – a 92-year-old woman died there in 2019. In the same year, a young man died in an accident on a bike path in Sweden. And the most high-profile recent case occurred in Paris, where two scooter riders fatally hit a woman who was peacefully chatting with friends on the banks of the Seine and fled the scene. They were not found for 10 days, and the scooter driver has already been charged with involuntary manslaughter with aggravating circumstances. Criticism of electric scooters has led each European country to urgently adopt its own rules and laws to regulate this mode of transport, trying to simultaneously take advantage of all its benefits and appease dissatisfied individuals who claim that the new technologies do not live up to the expectations placed on them. It turned out that there are different speed limits in different countries of Europe, there are permitted and prohibited places for the use of electric scooters, requirements for the age of drivers and their equipment vary. For example, in Germany, according to the Light Electric Vehicles Act of 2019, electric scooters will be allowed on public roads, but you can only ride at a speed of no more than 20 km/h, the engine power should not exceed 500 watts, and the driver must be at least 14 years old. Sweden and Denmark have also introduced a 20 km/h speed limit for safety reasons.
In Italy, teenagers were allowed to drive at a speed of 25 km/h, but only if they wore helmets. Similar rules were introduced in France in 2019, but there it is also prohibited to leave scooters on sidewalks – a fine of 135 euros is imposed for this. In addition, the law sets the speed limit for electric scooters at 25 km/h, but it is still not allowed to go faster than 20 km/h, and in particularly busy areas of the city, the speed is limited to 8 km/h. In Italy, it has been decided that scooter riding will be allowed up to 25 km/h in 2020, but in areas with many pedestrians, the limit will be reduced to 6 km/h. In addition, the wearing of helmets is considered mandatory there until the age of 18, and scooter riding is permitted from the age of 14. Europe as a whole has a speed limit of 25 km/h, which applies to all types of light vehicles, including scooters.
It is illegal to ride an electric scooter in London – you could be fined. We explain quickly, simply, and clearly what happened, why it matters, and what will happen next. Episodes The end of the story. Advertising Podcasts. As for the UK, as always, the approach to the problem has become multi-faceted. On the one hand, private owners of electric scooters are prohibited from using public roads, including bicycle paths, by the 1988 Road Traffic Law, because electric scooters fall under the general definition of motorized vehicles (although this rule is widely violated and the police largely turn a blind eye). On the other hand, earlier this year, the authorities began consultations with the aim of legalizing the use of electric scooters on public roads, but for some reason only rented ones. In London, as of June 7, scooters rented by the companies Dott, Lime and TIER are already being tested on the streets. In July 2020, the European association of city organizations, EUROCITIES, drew attention to the significant differences in regulations for electric scooters across EU countries and called for the development of a set of uniform laws. In February this year, representatives of electric scooter manufacturers and lessees set up their own association, Micro-Mobility for Europe (MMfE), to defend their interests in Brussels. MMfE believes that electric scooters will continue to play an important role in relieving Europe’s city centers of endless traffic jams and solving the problem of insufficient parking spaces. In addition, the association hopes that the European Commission in Brussels will soon deal with the new classification of micro transport in light of the review of standards for all light electric vehicles, which would help consolidate European legislation in this area.