“Is Riding in India Illegal?”…Electric Scooter and Kickboard Users Are ‘Confused’

1930 Accidents Occurred Last Year
Drivable Areas Differ by Region

Recently, BTS member Suga has become the subject of controversy over electric scooter issues, highlighting the serious safety problems caused by the lack of legal and institutional awareness regarding motorized bicycles.

According to the Traffic Accident Analysis System (TAAS) of the Korea Road Traffic Authority on the 19th, there were 1,930 motorized bicycle accidents last year, resulting in 3,040 injuries and 36 deaths. Most users are unaware of the operating regulations themselves. In fact, a survey on the actual usage of Personal Mobility devices (PM) revealed that 63.5% of respondents rode on sidewalks, and 91.1% did not wear helmets.

PMs and electric scooters are classified as motorized bicycles and are considered automobiles under the Road Traffic Act. PMs are defined as having a maximum speed of less than 23 km/h and a total weight under 30 kg, including electric kickboards, electric two-wheeled balance vehicles, and electric bicycles. Only those with a driver's license can use them, and accidents are treated as traffic accidents. Riding on sidewalks used by pedestrians is prohibited.

However, there are differences in applicable regulations. PMs are allowed to travel on bicycle paths, but electric scooters are not. PM drivers must ride on the right edge of the road where bicycle paths are not installed. If caught driving without a license, PM drivers face a fine of 100,000 KRW, while electric scooter drivers face a fine of up to 300,000 KRW. Driving a PM under the influence does not result in criminal punishment but leads to license suspension or cancellation and a fine of 100,000 KRW. In contrast, electric scooter drivers face criminal penalties, including imprisonment of up to five years or fines up to 20 million KRW.

Currently, several bills related to motorized bicycles are being proposed in the National Assembly. On the 12th, Mo Kyung-jong of the Democratic Party of Korea proposed a bill to supplement the penalty provisions for illegal parking of PMs. On the 8th of last month, Im Ho-seon of the same party submitted a bill to lower the maximum speed of PMs from the current 25 km/h to 20 km/h.

Choi Jae-won, a professor at the Korea Road Traffic Authority, advised, “Currently, many people ride PMs or electric scooters, leading to frequent safety threats such as abandonment on streets or riding on sidewalks. Rather than legislative solutions, it is necessary to first discuss how to improve safety issues through collaboration with companies.”