Erwann says he is surprised. “I bought my scooter in a department store. At no time was I told that it had to be restrained at 25 km / h…. It annoys me, I'm going to turn against them. The young man has just been checked by police officers on the Boulevard du Temple (Paris 11th district). "Your model can run at 40 km / h ... In principle, the flange defect is a 1500 euros fine. This time, it will be a simple warning, "reassures a police officer.
Because since October 25, 2019, electric scooters and other “personal motorized displacement vehicles” (EDPM) have been included in the Highway Code. These vehicles, which are used more and more in the city, now obey the same rules as bicycles. With an additional insurance obligation and a speed limited to 25 km / h, like electric bikes.
Problem: large brands or online merchants sell models that do not comply with this limitation, without bothering to warn customers. "Either the store that sold it to me agrees to clamp it for free, or I will resell it. I want to buy another model, up to standard this time, ”continues Erwann.
Accidents on the rise
This Parisian student escapes a big fine. But he was caught red-handed for another offense, very commonly noted by the police: wearing headphones. Since 2015, whatever the type of vehicle, this kind of equipment is prohibited when driving. Amount of the fine: 135 euros, compared to 90 euros if paid within 15 days. Many cyclists, headphones on, seem to be completely unaware of the existence of this ban. Ditto for scooter pilots. "It's going to be almost five years, it's starting to know," said an official from the prefecture.
During the strike in transport, cohabitation with cars, pedestrians or bicycles was not always easy. Faced with the increase in the number of accidents, reinforced controls have been carried out in recent weeks. "In January alone, thirty-two people were victims of an accident involving a scooter, compared to six in January 2019," said Bruno Jouvence, road safety coordinator at the police headquarters. Everyone must respect the rules, there must be no impunity, whatever the type of vehicle ”.
Ditto for parking. Again, self-service scooter rentals too often drop their gear anywhere on the sidewalk or on the street. The town hall of Paris regularly carries out their removal and does not return them to the operators except for a significant fine ... (Read below).
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Scooters in Paris? "It's cool, but it's super dangerous"