What Are The Laws For Electric Scooters?


What Are The Laws Rules For Electric Scooters

Electric Scooters are increasingly seen in traffic. They are fast and silent, non-polluting and not tiring, the electric scooter are attracting more and more people. There are a number of rules to follow. But are electric scooters even allowed on the road? And can I drive an them on sidewalks? It is also unclear whether a helmet is mandatory for electric scooters , whether there are special labels for electric scooters and whether liability insurance must be taken out for an electric scooter. New laws were passed last year related to electric scooters, and many countries in the world have similar rules. We clarify the most important questions around Laws, rules and regulations of electric scooters here.

Therefore, these are the most common questions and answers that every electric scooter driver needs to know.
The new regulation for electrical small vehicles finally brings clarity and helps to classify electric scooters at the legal level. We looked at the new law and summarized the most important facts:

Laws Rules and Regulations For Electric Scooters in 2020:
1. Electric scooters are allowed to drive a maximum of 25 km/h
2. The electric scooters may have a maximum of 500 watts
3. Driving is on a bike path or the road if there is no bike path.
4. Driving is allowed from the age of 14.
5. There is no helmet requirement for electric scooters.
6. Insurance is not required for an electric scooter.

Who Can Ride An Electric Scooter?

The proposal for”slower electric scooters from the age of 12″ was rejected when voting on the new electric scooter law. It is therefore no longer possible to use slow-moving scooters at a younger age. Anyone, provided they are 14 or more can ride an electric scooter. Of course, children should not ride stronger scooters (Watts) for their own safety. More than hundreds of millions of people worldwide use electric scooters today for their daily needs.

What Is The Speed Limit For Electric Scooters?

According to the new regulation, electric scooters can drive a maximum of 25 km/h by law. Fines can be obtained to achieve higher speeds than this. The power of the electric motor is also limited to 500 watts by law, although there are also more powerful scooters. These set the safety rules that manufacturers must comply with, but for the moment are sorely lacking in precision. These laws are tied to Europe, America and much of the rest of the world.

What If Electric Scooter Can Exceed More Than 25km/h?

Please note, electric scooters traveling at more than 25km / h must be declared to the Ministry of the Interior in order to obtain a unique identification number which must be engraved on a non-removable part of the scooter. The decree, which dates from 2009, relates more broadly to all motor vehicles over 25km/h in order to limit the misuse of quads, mini-motorcycles and other electric bikes. But even having obtained a unique identification number, for electric scooters that can exceed more than 25 kmh is prohibited from driving on public roads . 

Where Can I Ride My Electric Scooter?

With the law, the topic of sidewalk is now off the table. Driving the electric scooter is only permitted on cycle paths and the street if there is no cycle path. Of course, if you have to drive on the street, drive along the edge so that you do not obstruct traffic. It is necessary to be very careful when your drive your electric scooter on a bicycle path, as electric scooters reach high speeds so that no collisions occur.

Does My Electric Scooter Have To Be Registered?

Administratively, since they d not exceed 25km/h (by law), electric scooters do not require any type of registration and can be ridden freely around the city or on cycle paths. Of course, your electric scooter should not exceed 25 km / h under the law.

Do You Need Some Documents For Electric Scooter?

No, Electric Scooters do not require any documentation if the police stop you.

Is it Mandatory to Wear a Helmet?

31% of injuries on an electric scooter are to the head . Only 4% of users reported wearing a helmet (in the United States). Surprisingly, there is no law that requires the wearing of helmets . However, this should not be long in view of the increasing number of wounded. It would be good to impose it. The electric scooter is not the easiest to handle, even if it does not seem complicated to drive; the balance is doubtful, the wheels are quite small. Prevention is better than cure: wear a helmet, ridicule does not kill!

Rules And Regulations For Driving an Electric Scooter

  • driver’s license certificate are not necessary
  • there is no helmet requirementfor electric scooters up to 25 km/h
  • minimum ageof 14 years is required to drive a electric scooter
  • Electric scooter must have separate brakes(“Dual brake”), each front and rear, a driving and holding rod,  front, and tail light and reflectors 
  • Electric scooters need to have a “ringing bell” so that necessary danger signals can be given
  • A signal system for the change of direction ( turn signal/ direction indicator) is not absolutely necessary. Direction changes are therefore indicated by hand signals as when cycling
  • for miniature electric scooters are not the same parking rulesas for other vehicles – they are not parked but like bicycles parked
  • Electric scooters are subject to the “obligation to use the bike path“, therefore electric scooters may only be driven on bike lanes and bike paths , not on sidewalks or within pedestrian zones. If there is no cycle path, you can switch to the road.

Electric Scooters With A Motor Power Above 250W

Electric scooters, on average, have a less powerful motor than electric bicycles, but they look more like a moped in appearance. What if you have, for example, a 500 Watt electric scooter? Yes, according to the law, an electric scooter with an engine of 250W or more already belongs to the category of mopeds and scooters, so they need category to manage. There are still no clear instructions and rules: how should a traffic police officer classify an electric scooter stopped by him? How to determine motor power of 250W or  500W if they dont not look different? 

Do I need a Driving License For My Electric Scooter?

No, there is no driver’s license requirement. A very pleasing point is that a driving license is not required for use of electric scooters. The Federal Ministry of Transport dispenses with the regulation that the driver of a small electric vehicle must have a moped driving license or another driving license.

What Every Electric Scooter Must Have

In order to be considered a small electric vehicle, the electric scooter must have a front, rear and brake light in addition to the handrail. Legislation also requires two brakes to act independently of one another. A bell must also be on the scooter. Turn signals, on the other hand, are not among the required add-on parts, since the drivers of an e-scooter show the direction of travel by hand signals, such as on a bicycle.

Important: This regulation does not apply to electric skate and longboards, as well as to hoverboards. A separate order is being worked on for these vehicles.

With electric scooters, it is important to make sure that the manufacturer has also received an operating license. To insure a scooter with liability insurance, the vehicles need this ABE (general operating license). This is issued by the Federal Motor Transport Authority for each model. If changes are made to a model, the manufacturer must apply for an operating license for the new model again. If a model receives the ABE, the manufacturer must attach a nameplate to each vehicle.

Mario Poljak

I'm the co-owner of ElectricScooterReport. I have been passionate about Scooters since I was a boy. I will bring you experience, expertise and knowledge in this new industry which I have gained over the last couple of years.

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