Electric Scooter: Best Practices to Follow! (Video)

Road Safety thus provides everyone with a detailed video outlining the proper steps to take when riding an electric scooter.

In both city and countryside, the electric scooter is subject to specific rules for the safety of the rider as well as other road users. Therefore, through an engaging video, the organization hopes to educate the public on best practices for sharing the road space properly.

This educational session is characterized by three main elements: the obligations to respect, the traffic rules, and the safety tips from Road Safety. Over three minutes and ten seconds, a voice-over explains what you can and cannot do on a device such as this Personal Motorized Transport Device.

Here is the video:

Video Summary

If you don’t have time to watch the 3-minute and 10-second video, we’ve highlighted the most important points to remember regarding necessary equipment, traffic rules, and safety tips from Road Safety.

Necessary Equipment

First of all, be aware that you will need specific insurance to ride an electric scooter. According to Road Safety, your standard liability insurance will not cover electric scooters. If you rent your PEV (Personal Electric Vehicle), don’t forget to ask your rental provider for this insurance.

Next, ensure the following on your scooter:

• Brakes in good working condition (check with a professional if in doubt);
• Front and rear lights functioning properly;
• Reflectors at the rear and on the sides (orange reflective elements);
• A mechanical or electric bell (test the volume!).

In addition to this, you must wear retro-reflective accessories at night. When riding outside urban areas, always wear a helmet, reflective gear, and turn on your lights.

Traffic Rules

To ride a scooter, you must be at least 12 years old today. The Ministry of Transport launched a national plan against misuse of electric scooters in March, in which it announced plans to raise this age limit to 14 soon. A good road safety initiative, as it would place electric scooter use on the same level as mopeds and unlicensed cars.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Respect the Highway Code;
• Use bike lanes when available;
• Limit your speed to 25 km/h (under penalty of a €1,500 fine);
• Do not ride if you have consumed alcohol (more than 0.5 g/l of blood);
• Avoid holding your smartphone while riding.

You are prohibited from:

• Riding two on a scooter (€135 fine);
• Transporting goods on your device;
• Riding on the sidewalk or on roads over 50 km/h;

We hope you will follow these rules, for everyone’s safety!

Road Safety Tips for Electric Scooters

Road Safety recommends wearing a helmet. This will protect you from the most severe impacts in case of a fall while riding your scooter on the road. Additionally, stay at least a meter away from parked cars to avoid sudden door openings.

Road Safety also advises you to regularly check the condition of your scooter, especially the brakes and lights. Indeed, scooter riders are quite often less visible on the road. Proper functioning of equipment is therefore crucial for their safety.

Regarding this, the government recommends avoiding the blind spots of heavy vehicles such as trucks, vans, and buses. These are marked with stickers indicating the danger zones.

Finally, park preferably in designated areas. This will prevent fines and theft of your scooter.

Hopefully, these tips will be useful to you, and you’ll ride better with your scooter from now on!

Also read: PEV, a regulatory framework strengthened by the government