Three Students Riding One Kickboard at Daejeon Intersection
A Lawyer Says, "It Could Lead to Death if Done Wrong"
The sight of three female students, presumed to be minors, riding together on a single electric scooter without helmets and speeding along sent chills down the spines of onlookers.
On the 25th, a video titled "Three Female Students on One Electric Scooter" was uploaded to the YouTube channel 'Han Moon-cheol TV.'
A black box footage showing three students riding on a single electric scooter, released on the YouTube channel 'Han Moon-cheol TV'. [Photo by Han Moon-cheol TV]
The video showed students riding an electric scooter without helmets weaving through pedestrians. One was sitting, while the other two stood behind. They crossed the crosswalk at a speed comparable to that of a car and sped along the sidewalk on the opposite side.
A lawyer pointed out, "Even when riding a scooter alone, the moment you collide with a car, you can be thrown through the air like a somersault," adding, "If things go wrong, it could even lead to death."
Netizens also reacted with comments such as, "I've seen two people before, but three is a first," "I've never seen anyone sit in front while riding a scooter," "Do they have two lives?" and "Please don't cause harm to others."
Meanwhile, according to the revised Road Traffic Act of May 2021, teenagers aged 16 or older who hold a motorized vehicle license can use mobility devices, and those without a license face a fine of 100,000 won. Additionally, riding with two or more people on a scooter results in a fine of 40,000 won per person, and riding without a helmet incurs a fine of 20,000 won.
Rapid Increase in Electric Scooter Accidents, Deaths in Worst Cases
The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Kang Jin-hyung, Asia Economy]
According to the Road Traffic Authority, traffic accidents involving personal mobility devices such as electric scooters totaled 1,735 cases in 2021, nearly doubling each year.
Despite knowing the dangers of electric scooters, it is still rare to find people wearing helmets while riding them. It is also common to see people riding with two or more passengers or using them after drinking.
When an electric scooter accident occurs, there is a risk of abrasions, fractures, and head injuries causing facial and brain damage from falls or collisions with vehicles. Severe impacts to the head or spine can result in serious aftereffects such as paralysis, or in the worst cases, death.
In fact, 19 deaths were confirmed from electric scooter accidents in 2021.
Especially when two or more people ride together on an electric scooter, as seen in the video, the severity of injuries in an accident inevitably increases. It is harder to maintain balance than when riding alone, and the braking system may not function properly due to the increased weight of the passengers.
In sudden situations, overlapping arms make it difficult to respond. In September last year, a horrific accident occurred in Gunpo-si, Gyeonggi-do, where three female students riding a scooter illegally crossed an intersection and were hit by a van.
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