Electric scooters have become a highly popular personal mobility vehicle for the residents of large cities. They are easy to use, convenient, affordable, and more sustainable than other transport options, so their use has become widespread in record time. However, the scooter boom has been accompanied by two controversial issues: high accident figures and lack of regulation.
Up to September this year, more than 250 traffic accidents involving electric scooters were being reported each year, which has led many users to start asking what would happen if they were involved in one.
What happens in the event of an accident with an uninsured scooter?
Currently, the regulations imposed by the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) establish rules for speed, circulation and the use of protective equipment, among other aspects. However, the obligation to take out insurance is still a pending issue. According to the regulatory body, only electric scooters belonging to a tourist or rental company are obliged to have insurance, but there is no such requirement for electric scooters used by private individuals.
If the scooter is not covered by insurance, the person responsible for the accident is liable for any damages or compensation to which the injured party is entitled. These expenses can range from the injured party’s hospital bills to the possible cost of repairing the vehicle, among other variables that depend on each particular case.
Taking into account the offences that electric scooter users commit and the complications that the lack of insurance entails, the DGT is being forced to take measures with some urgency.
All scooters will end up needing compulsory insurance to drive on public roads According to the Director of the DGT, Pere Navarro, in a very short time, all users of electric scooters will be obliged to take out a traffic insurance policy to use public roads.
This will not only make users aware of the need to drive carefully and use the vehicle responsibly but, in the event of an accident, it will make proceedings much easier.
With this proposed measure, the aim of the DGT is, above all, to facilitate the legal procedures handled by local councils and other authorities on a day-to-day basis and to reduce the number of accidents involving this type of vehicle.
The users of electric scooters must, therefore, start to examine the insurance options available, so that they can comply with the new regulations simply and quickly, when they are introduced, a development that is now closer than ever.
