Two teenagers aged 15 and 17 who were traveling together on an electric scooter died on Monday August 22 in Lyon.
They were hit by a private ambulance while in a lane reserved for buses and unregistered two-wheelers.
A dramatic accident that raises many questions about the regulation of this means of mobility.
Maître Charles-Henri Coppet, lawyer specializing in personal injury law, defense of victims' rights, sheds light on the rules that it is essential to know before using an electric scooter.
Read alsoScooters: behind the accidents, the regulation puzzle
Is wearing a helmet compulsory?
“
As for wearing a helmet, the regulation differs depending on where the driver is driving.
It is not compulsory in built-up areas but strongly recommended, while it is compulsory outside built-up areas
,” explains Maître Charles-Henri Coppet.
Highly recommended, because it is easy to recover from a few scratches, a sprain or a fracture, but the most fragile part of the body that needs to be protected is the head.
According to the 2019 road safety report on accidentology, 80% of deaths in Motorized Personal Transport Vehicles - including scooters - were not wearing a helmet and this statistic remains stable in the years that follow.
Where is it possible to travel?
The legislation is clear: “
In urban areas there is an obligation to ride on cycle paths but when there are none, drivers are authorized to travel on roads limited to 50 km/h
,” says the lawyer.
“
Outside built-up areas, it is also possible to travel on roads with a maximum speed of 80 km/h, but in this case users must wear a helmet, retro-reflective equipment and drive with the position lights on
”, d 'after information from public services.
Traffic on pedestrian areas is also authorized but only at a moderate speed of 6 km/h and without disturbing pedestrians.
Finally, traffic on the sidewalks is prohibited unless the mayor approves this practice.
Similarly, for parking the vehicle, it is possible on the sidewalk if the town hall authorizes it.
Otherwise, users must park their vehicle in the spaces provided for this purpose.
Failure to comply with this rule is punishable by a fine of 49 euros.
Can several people ride a scooter?
The user cannot carry passengers.
He must always be alone on his scooter.
This is a practice that was banned at the end of 2019 and is now punishable by a fine of 35 euros.
"
Unfortunately, this is absolutely not respected, in the big cities, every day we see several users on an electric scooter
", deplores Charles-Henri Coppet.
Read alsoElectric scooter, bicycle: should you be insured when traveling on two wheels?
Should I be insured?
Article R. 233-3 of the Highway Code sets out the insurance obligation for motorized land vehicles, which include, among others, electric scooters.
“
Motorized personal transport vehicles are subject to the same civil liability insurance obligation as motorized vehicles.
(...) This civil liability insurance covers damage that may be caused to a pedestrian or another vehicle, for example
,” argues Charles-Henri Coppet.
This subscription must be made by the owner of the machine but is also recommended for fans of the use of rental scooters.
Self-service scooter rental operators insure the vehicle but not the person riding
it
», reveals Charles-Henri Coppet.
How to make cohabitation between the different means of mobility less dangerous?
“
The problem with electric scooters is that they emerged quickly without taking the time to think about the consequences of their use
,” warns Me Charles-Henri Coppet.
For him, the rules for using this mobility are not very restrictive but above all, no communication is made to make them known to everyone.
“
I think the majority of people who have criminal attitudes don't do it voluntarily, it's more related to a lack of information
,” he continues.
To overcome this lack, it proposes in particular the establishment of training in the same format as the school road safety certificate that college students must pass during their apprenticeship cycle.
Ultimately, he also says that it would be important to pass a certificate of aptitude: something “
quick to pass but which certifies that the person driving the vehicle is capable of driving it while respecting the rules.
“Finally, in order to reduce the number of accidents, “
we really have to make the helmet compulsory, this will reduce the number of deaths
”, concludes Me Charles-Henri Coppet.
