On Monday, August 22, two teenagers, aged 15 and 17, who were traveling together on an electric scooter, died in Lyon. They were run over by a private ambulance in the lane reserved for buses and unregistered two-wheelers. A dramatic accident that raises many questions about the regulation of this means of mobility. Maître Charles-Henri Coppet, a lawyer specializing in personal injury law, protection of victims’ rights, sheds light on the rules you need to know before using an electric scooter.
Wearing a helmet is mandatory.
“As for wearing a helmet, the regulations differ depending on where the driver is driving. It is optional in residential areas but strongly recommended, while it is mandatory outside built-up areas“, explains master Charles-Henri Coppet. Highly recommended as it is easy to recover from a few scratches, scrapes or breaks, but the most fragile part of the body to protect is the head. According to the 2019 Road Safety Report on accidents, 80% of deaths in motorized personal vehicles, including scooters, were not wearing helmets, and this statistic has remained stable in subsequent years.
Where can you travel?
The law is clear.Bicycle lanes are mandatory in residential areas, but when they are not available, motorists have the right to travel on roads with a speed limit of up to 50 km/h.– says the lawyer. “It is also possible to travel on roads with a maximum speed of 80 km/h outside the settlements, but in this case users must wear a helmet, retro-reflective equipment and drive with position lights on.“According to the information received from public services. Traffic on pedestrian areas is also allowed, but only at a moderate speed of 6 km/h and without disturbing pedestrians. Finally, sidewalk traffic is prohibited until the mayor approves this practice.
Similarly, it is possible to park the car on the sidewalk if the municipality allows it. Otherwise, users must park their vehicle in designated areas. Failure to comply with this rule is punishable by a fine of 49 euros.
Can several people ride a scooter?
User cannot carry passengers. He must always be alone on his scooter. This is a practice that was banned at the end of 2019 and is now punishable by a €35 fine. “Unfortunately, this is not respected at all, in large cities every day we see several users with electric scooters” Charles-Henri Coppet laments.
Do I need insurance?
Article R. 233-3 of the Highway Code establishes the obligation to insure motor land vehicles, which include, among others, electric scooters. “Personal motor vehicles are subject to the same liability insurance obligation as motor vehicles. (…) This civil liability insurance covers damage that, for example, can be caused to a pedestrian or another vehicleCharles-Henri Coppet claims. This subscription must be done by the vehicle owner, but is also recommended for scooter rental enthusiasts. “Self-service scooter rental operators insure the vehicle, but not the rider“, – reveals Charles-Henri Coppet.
How to make coexistence between different mobile devices less dangerous?
“The problem with electric scooters is that they came up quickly without taking the time to think about the consequences of using them.Charles-Henri Coppet warns me. For him, the rules for using this mobility are not so restrictive, but, first of all, no communication is carried out so that they are known to everyone. “I think most people with criminal attitudes do not do it voluntarily, it is more related to lack of information;“, he continues.
To overcome this lack, it proposes, in particular, to establish training in the same format as the school road safety certificate that college students must pass during their apprenticeship period. In the long term, he also confirms that it would be important to issue a fitness certificate.passes quickly, but which certifies that the person driving the vehicle can drive it in compliance with the rules.Finally, in order to reduce the number of accidents.you should really make helmet mandatory, it will reduce the number of deathsconcludes Me Charles-Henri Coppet.
Source: Le Figaro
