The growing use of “environmentally friendly” mobility equipment, such as electric scooters, has led traffic authorities in Spain and France to take new, tighter measures with regard to safety, not only for their users, but for all passers-by.
After being applied some rules regarding their use in the city of Lisbon, as is the case with compulsory parking zones and respect for speed limits, but also in terms of wearing a helmet every time this means of transport is used, it is possible that electric scooters could be banned from use in some cases, or have even tighter rules, as is already the case, for example, in the city of Paris, where electric scooters can no longer be rented, and could happen in neighboring Spain, which is considering limiting their use to children under 16.
And in Portugal?
In Spain, the traffic authority wants to ban under-16s from using this fast means of getting around, and is also considering requiring users of electric scooters to register their personal mobility vehicles in the vehicle register, as a way of limiting use by minors.
In Portugal, as you’ll know, you don’ t need any kind of driving license or even to know the Highway Code – aka traffic signs and rules – to ride these electric scooters, although drivers can be punished with fines if, for example, they exceed the blood alcohol level allowed by the same rule book.
Users of these vehicles also know that they should not use the sidewalks, which are reserved for pedestrians, a rule that we have seen broken almost every day, as well as the duty to signal maneuvers, use reflective lights at night, keep safe distances from other vehicles on the road and, of course, avoid using a cell phone or headphones while driving a scooter.
With the new regulations that have been under study for a few years in Spain and are due to come into force from 2025, in addition to having the mobility equipment registered in the vehicle register, everyone must wear a helmet and those who use scooters to go to work must wear a reflective vest.
The main aim of these measures, which could also have an impact on Portuguese law, is to reduce the number of deaths and accidents recorded with this type of personal mobility equipment.
Trotinetes vão ter zonas de estacionamento obrigatório e limites de velocidade