Ongoing Accidents Involving Drivers and Pedestrians Raise Safety Concerns
Bill for a Complete Ban Recently Proposed in the National Assembly
Recently, incidents and accidents caused by reckless riding or parking of electric scooters have continued without pause. This time, controversy has arisen after an electric scooter was found inside an apartment elevator. On November 10, a post titled "Current Status of Shared Scooters" was uploaded to an online community, prompting netizens to call for the removal of scooters. The released photo shows a single scooter left in the middle of an apartment elevator.
Recently, incidents and accidents caused by reckless riding or parking of electric scooters have been continuous. This time, an electric scooter was found in an apartment elevator, sparking controversy. Online community
The author commented, "This is a photo posted on our apartment's online cafe," expressing disbelief. Many netizens who saw the photo frowned at the sight of the indiscriminately abandoned scooter. Comments included, "It looks like someone rode the scooter all the way into the apartment and just left it there," "All shared scooters should be banned. They are uncontrollable," and "Now they are even left inside elevators."
73 Deaths in 3 Years... 44% of Drivers Involved in Accidents Are Teenagers
According to the Korea Road Traffic Authority, traffic accidents involving personal mobility devices such as electric scooters increased from 897 cases in 2020 to 2,232 cases last year, a 2.5-fold rise. Among these, hit-and-run accidents surged from 22 cases in 2020 to 147 cases last year, a 6.7-fold increase compared to four years ago. Although personal mobility devices such as electric scooters are classified as motorized bicycles under the Road Traffic Act and thus considered automobiles, the Automobile Management Act does not require them to have license plates. Some point out that this loophole is being exploited for hit-and-run offenses.
Another point of controversy is that most drivers involved in electric scooter accidents are teenagers. Specifically, there were 1,441 cases involving those aged 15 or younger, 1,648 cases for those aged 16-19, 1,783 cases for those in their 20s, 790 cases for those in their 30s, 524 cases for those in their 40s, 414 cases for those in their 50s, 201 cases for those in their 60s, 168 cases for those aged 70 or above, and 78 cases of unknown age. Out of a total of 7,047 drivers, 44% (3,089 individuals) were aged 19 or younger.
Seoul City has decided to pilot the operation of "Scooter-Free Streets" starting this May in Hongdae Red Road in Mapo-gu and the academy district in Banpo, Seocho-gu, marking the first such initiative nationwide. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@
In summary, about half of all electric scooter traffic accidents involved unlicensed drivers, and approximately 50% of the drivers involved were teenagers. Notably, 20% of drivers who caused accidents (1,441 out of 7,047) were "15 years old or younger," an age group not legally permitted to operate electric scooters, fueling strong demands for the removal of scooters.
The "Incheon Yeonsu-gu incident," in which a woman in her 30s was struck, is a representative case that fueled public calls for banning electric scooters. The perpetrators were two middle school students without licenses or helmets. Riding together on a single electric scooter along the sidewalk, they struck a woman in her 30s who was trying to protect her young daughter, leaving the victim in critical condition.
Such unlicensed accidents are rooted in legal loopholes related to electric scooters. To operate an electric scooter, one must hold at least a Class 2 motorized bicycle license, which is only available to those aged 16 or older. However, many shared scooter rental companies popular among teenagers do not require mandatory license verification. These companies allow users to skip the license registration step in the app by selecting options such as "register later."
As a result, there are increasing calls that "rental companies should also be held responsible for accidents." A recent case involved an elderly person in their 80s who died from a brain hemorrhage after being struck by an electric scooter while walking on the sidewalk. The perpetrators were two 13-year-old students riding the scooter. The parent of one of the students stated, "The scooter rental company, which neglected the risks, shares responsibility for the victim's death," and is preparing a lawsuit.
Local Governments Take Action While National Legislation Remains Pending
While bills related to scooters remain pending in the National Assembly, local governments are taking the initiative. Yeonsu-gu in Incheon is pursuing a complete revision of the PM-related ordinance established in 2022 and plans to designate certain areas, such as the Songdo academy district, as "Scooter-Free Streets." Seoul City was the first in the country to pilot "Scooter-Free Streets" starting in May this year in Hongdae Red Road in Mapo-gu and the academy district in Banpo, Seocho-gu. In a recent survey, 98.4% of residents in these areas supported expanding the "Scooter-Free Streets" initiative. Seoul City plans to consider expanding restricted areas and to strengthen enforcement in cooperation with the police.
Meanwhile, some overseas cities have already implemented bans on shared electric scooters. These include Paris in France, Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, Melbourne in Australia, Montreal in Canada, and Prague in the Czech Republic. Notably, Paris, which was the first city in Europe to allow shared electric scooters in 2018, introduced measures such as mandatory license plates, limiting use to one rider per scooter, restricting use to those aged 18 or older, and a speed limit of 20 km/h. However, as accidents continued, the city put the issue of banning rentals to a public vote. With an overwhelming approval rate of 89%, all shared electric scooters disappeared from Paris as of September 2023.
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