Accident Researchers Call โfor E-Scooter Drivingโข Licenses Following Federal Cabinet โDecisions
Berlin, Germany – โOctober 10, 2024, 16:35 CET – Following โWednesday’s decisions by โteh german federal cabinet to tighten regulations surroundingโฃ e-scooters, accident researchers are intensifying calls for mandatory โdriving licenses forโ all e-scooter operators. โThe โrenewed โฃpush comes as lawmakersโข address safety concerns linked toโ the rapidly increasingโ popularity of the micro-mobility vehicles.
The cabinet’s actions-including a mandate โคfor indicators on all newly registered e-scooters starting in 2027, and increased finesโ for sidewalk ridingโฃ and multiple โpassengers-representโ a firstโ step toward improved safety. However, experts argue that โthese measures are insufficient without a requirement demonstrating a basic โunderstanding of traffic laws โandโ safeโ operating procedures.โ Currently, anyone 14 years โขor older โฃcanโ operate an e-scooter in Germany.Theโค proposed โฃlicensingโข requirement aims to addressโ a โperceived skills gap contributing to rising accident rates.
Alongside the licensing debate, the federal cabinet also approved an increase in fines.Penalties for cycling on sidewalks willโ rise from โฌ15 to โฌ25, and riding โขwith multiple passengers willโค also incur a โฌ25 fine.โ These changes, though,โฃ still require approval โfrom the Federal Council before becoming law.
Theโ move to regulate e-scooters reflects a broader โEuropean trend as cities grapple with integrating โคthese vehicles intoโ existing transportation infrastructure โwhile mitigating safety risks โfor riders and pedestrians. Accidentโ statistics released earlier this year showed โa notable increase โin e-scooter related injuries,โ promptingโ renewed scrutiny ofโ existing regulations.