"What Did the Kids Do to Deserve This?" Family of Four on a Scooter Without Helmets Shocks Online Users

Numerous Cases of Overloading and Not Wearing Helmets
Public Reacts to Scooter Accidents: "Penalties Must Be Toughened"

Recently, concerns over electric scooter safety have been growing after a woman in her 30s, who was out for a walk with her young daughter, was struck by an electric scooter driven by two unlicensed middle school students and has yet to regain consciousness. Amid these concerns, a photo highlighting the dangers of electric scooters has been shared on online communities and social media. On October 24, a photo of a family of four riding a single electric scooter was posted on the online community BobaeDream. The poster, identified as Mr. A, wrote, "There are constant issues with scooters. We should get rid of them altogether, like in France." This photo was originally uploaded to the global social media platform Reddit.

A photo of a family of four riding together on a single electric scooter has spread online through global social media. Online community 'BobaeDream'

The person who first posted the photo commented, "People in Dublin, Ireland are making the most of the environmental benefits of electric scooters." As described, the photo, which appears to have been taken in Ireland, shows a couple and their two young children riding a single scooter. The woman, presumed to be the mother, is holding the handlebars with both hands, while a young daughter stands in front of her, gripping the lower part of the handlebars. The man, presumed to be the father, has one foot on the scooter's footboard and is holding the woman. Notably, he is carrying a young son on his shoulders. None of them are wearing helmets. Viewers of the photo expressed concerns about safety and criticized the parents' behavior, commenting, "This is basically self-harm for insurance fraud," "What did the kids do to deserve this?" and "If parents who are supposed to teach morality don't follow it themselves, what are the children supposed to learn?"

Half of Electric Scooter ER Visits Involve Unlicensed Riders... Accidents Up 4.7 Times Over 7 Years

In South Korea, electric scooter safety has also been repeatedly raised as an issue. Statistics support these concerns. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency in April, the number of accidents involving personal mobility devices such as electric scooters has increased 4.7 times over the past seven years. Of those injured in such accidents, 40% were young people aged 15 to 24, 75% were not wearing helmets, and half were unlicensed.

A citizen is riding without a helmet on a road near Gongdeok Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

As accidents continue to occur due to scooters being operated without adherence to safety rules, there are increasing calls to "ban scooters altogether" and "enact laws prohibiting scooters," along with criticism that "the law is allowing accidents to happen" and that "the penalties are just a slap on the wrist, only amounting to tens of thousands of won." In fact, under the Road Traffic Act, only one person is allowed on an electric scooter at a time. Article 50, Paragraph 10 (Prohibition of Overloading) of the Road Traffic Act stipulates that drivers must not carry more passengers than the permitted capacity when operating electric scooters and similar devices. For electric scooters and electric two-wheeled parallel vehicles, the capacity is one person; for bicycles powered solely by an electric motor (throttle electric bicycles), it is two people. Wearing personal protective equipment (such as a helmet) is also mandatory.

According to Article 50, Paragraph 4 of the Road Traffic Act, electric scooter operators must wear a helmet that meets specific standards when driving on the road. The law also specifies the functions and standards for helmets: they must provide sufficient visibility, not impair hearing, be capable of absorbing impact, have a fastening function to prevent the helmet from coming off during a collision, and weigh no more than 2 kilograms. The problem, however, is that the penalties are too lenient. Those who drive electric scooters with more passengers than allowed are fined 40,000 won, and those who fail to wear a helmet or other protective gear-whether driver or passenger-are each subject to a 20,000 won fine and a 20,000 won administrative penalty.