From now on, e-scooter users will be equated with cyclists, regardless of the speed at which they ride.
Electric scooters are becoming increasingly popular, but their use is not always without risk. To ensure that everything runs safely, new rules will apply from 1 July and the Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works Lydia Peeters is launching a new awareness campaign together with the VSV (Flemish Foundation for Traffic Studies).
E-steps are popping up more and more on the streets. They reach speeds of up to 25 km per hour and ensure smooth movements, but are not always stable or easy to handle. In addition, because they are very quiet, they can be treacherous to pedestrians. From 1 July, new traffic rules will therefore apply to e-steps and other motorized locomotion devices.
"Electric scooters offer mobility benefits and are becoming increasingly popular, but their use is not always without risk and this presents additional challenges. In one year, the number of injuries and casualties with e-scooters has almost tripled, with the serious injuries The new rules provide greater clarity and uniformity, thereby increasing the safety of scooter users and other road users."
In order to prevent children or young teenagers from driving at speeds of up to 25 km/h between motorized traffic, an age limit of 16 years now applies. Although there are exceptions: in residential areas and yards, on roads reserved for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders and in playgrounds, those younger than 16 are also allowed to ride an e-step. Young people are also allowed to drive in pedestrian zones if a traffic sign allows it, but then it must be done at walking pace.
Forbidden on the footpath
From now on, e-scooter users will be equated with cyclists, regardless of the speed at which they ride. They must therefore always follow the rules for cyclists. In concrete terms, this means that they are no longer allowed to drive on the footpath, but must follow the cycle path. If there are no bicycle paths, they must use the carriageway. In pedestrian zones, traffic signs indicate whether cyclists (and therefore also e-steps) are allowed or not. If so, they should drive at a walking pace.
Do not carry passengers
Riding with two people on one e-step is not a good idea because of the low stability. That is why it is now explicitly prohibited to transport passengers on motorized locomotives.
Parking
E-scooters are very popular within shared mobility, but just leaving them criss-cross on the public road is a nuisance and dangerous. There are now specific parking zones and zones with a parking ban for e-scooters, both indicated by traffic signs. In places without specific signage, parking on the sidewalk is still allowed, provided that your scooter does not obstruct the passage.
With caution
According to the latest figures from the Federal Police, 2021 injury accidents involving e-scooters were registered in Flanders in 533, or more than 10 per week. 3 people were killed, 30 seriously injured and 421 slightly injured. In the age group younger than 16 years, there were 5 seriously injured and 65 slightly injured. The number of accidents and casualties is also on a sharp rise: in 2020 there were only 206 injury crashes resulting in one fatality, 16 seriously injured and 164 slightly injured.
