Oslo, Dec 2 (IANS) The Norwegian government announced on Tuesday that it is preparing new measures to improve safety for electric scooter (e-scooter) users, following a sharp increase in accidents.
According to the Ministry of Transport, the number of injuries resulting from e-scooter accidents in the capital city of Oslo has nearly doubled compared to last year.
“Too many people have been badly injured on e-scooters in recent years. We are now starting work on concrete measures to bring down the number of accidents,” Minister of Transport Jon-Ivar Nygard said in a release, Xinhua News Agency reported.
One of the proposals under consideration is raising the minimum age limit for riding e-scooters. The current limit, set at 12 years in 2022, has not prevented a high incidence of injuries among children, who are seen as particularly vulnerable due to their lack of traffic experience. “With the accident trend we are seeing now, it is absolutely necessary to consider a higher age limit,” Nygard said.
The government also intends to crack down on the sale of illegal e-scooters. While the legal speed limit for e-scooters in Norway is 20 km/h, commercial actors continue to sell models capable of much higher speeds. The minister warned that such e-scooters cannot be insured, leaving riders exposed to legal penalties and significant liability claims in the event of a crash.
To protect pedestrians, the ministry plans to make it easier for municipalities to ban e-scooter riding on sidewalks. It has asked the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to establish specific signage that local authorities can use to prohibit sidewalk riding in problematic areas while keeping roadways open.
Furthermore, the government is calling for stricter enforcement of existing rules. Nygard stated that he has requested the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to increase inspections and collaborate more closely with the police to target speeding, intoxication, and the use of illegal e-scooters.
–IANS
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