Three Teens Ride Electric Scooter on Road Without Helmets: "No Safety Gear, Shocking Scene"

Minimum Age for Personal Mobility Devices Set at 16
License Required to Operate Electric Scooters

Amid a continuous string of accidents involving electric scooters, a recent incident captured three teenagers, who appear to be middle school students, riding together on a single electric scooter. On November 23, a post titled "This is really serious" was uploaded to an online community. The poster wrote, "Near Bucheon Yeokgok Station, three kids who looked like middle school students were riding an electric scooter, driving recklessly," and shared three photos. In the photos, three boys who appear to be middle school students can be seen riding a single electric scooter along the edge of the road.

Three teenagers who appear to be middle school students riding on one electric scooter. Online community 'Bobae Dream'

Upon seeing this, online users commented, "I hope these deadly weapons disappear from our roads," "Licenses should be checked, helmets should be mandatory, and it should be impossible to operate with more than one passenger," "Why is it that driver's license verification doesn't use mobile ID and people can ride without any authentication?" and "If they get hurt, it backfires, so enforcement is difficult, which is the real problem."

According to the Road Traffic Act, the minimum age for using 'personal mobility devices' is set at 16 years old, and users must possess a 'motorized bicycle' license to operate an electric scooter. Additionally, carrying more than one passenger is prohibited. Violations can result in fines or penalties for unlicensed driving and failure to fulfill safe driving obligations.

Riding Without Helmets and Licenses: 270 Scooter and Two-Wheeled Vehicle Violations in Two Hours

On November 25, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency conducted a large-scale crackdown on violations involving personal mobility devices (PM) and two-wheeled vehicles, catching 270 cases in just two hours. With accidents caused by unlicensed use and not wearing helmets on the rise, the police carried out surprise inspections across Seoul. That afternoon, the Seoul Metropolitan Police deployed 354 officers from 31 police stations, as well as traffic patrol and traffic mobile units, to focus on high-risk violations such as unlicensed driving, not wearing helmets, sidewalk riding, signal violations, and carrying more than one passenger on PMs and two-wheeled vehicles. As a result, 230 violations involving two-wheeled vehicles and 40 involving PMs were detected, totaling 270 cases.

Traffic accidents involving project managers and two-wheeled vehicles in the Seoul area have been steadily occurring over the past few years. The number of two-wheeled vehicle traffic accidents in Seoul was 3,434 in 2022, 2,949 in 2023, 2,712 in 2024, and as of the end of October this year, 2,125 cases have been recorded. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

During the crackdown, many minors were caught using shared electric scooters without a license, electric bicycle riders were found not wearing helmets, and delivery drivers were caught riding on sidewalks. The police are also considering whether to charge related companies with aiding and abetting unlicensed driving, particularly in cases where minors used shared services without a license. The police emphasized, "PMs and two-wheeled vehicles do not provide structural protection, so in the event of an accident, both the driver and pedestrians are exposed to significant danger," urging strict compliance with regulations.

Accidents involving PMs and two-wheeled vehicles in Seoul have continued steadily over the past few years. The number of two-wheeled vehicle traffic accidents in Seoul was 3,434 in 2022, 2,949 in 2023, 2,712 in 2024, and 2,125 as of the end of October this year. PM-related accidents were also consistently reported, with 406 cases in 2022, 500 in 2023, and 448 in 2024. In June, there was a fatal incident in which a high school student riding a scooter struck an elderly couple walking in a park, resulting in the wife's death.

With the increase in scooter-related accidents, a survey found that 98.4% of Seoul residents support expanding "scooter-free streets." Since May, the Seoul Metropolitan Government has been piloting the nation's first "scooter-free streets" in two sections of Mapo-gu and Seocho-gu, and citizens have reported experiencing improvements in the walking environment (69.2%) and a reduction in collision risks (77.2%).