The French authorities have expanded the rules of the road to electric scooters and similar vehicles, which have become extremely popular among citizens. According to Transport Minister Elizabeth Born, they allow people to move quickly and do not pollute the environment, but their use was not regulated at all, and city streets began to live according to the "jungle law". This forced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to develop new rules, the violation of which from September will be punished with large fines (up to 1,500 euros).
So, the speed of movement on electro-scooters is now limited to 25 km per hour. At the same time driving on the sidewalks is prohibited on them, unless there are no bicycle paths. In other cases, from now on, it will be necessary to drive on the roadway (where the driving speed allowed for cars does not exceed 50 km per hour).
Children under the age of 8 will no longer be able to use electro-scooters, and those who are under the age of 12 will be required to wear a helmet. These vehicles are now intended exclusively for personal use, that is, you can no longer take a passenger with you, as is often the case in large cities, primarily in Paris. The use of headphones or other devices that limit the ability to hear what is happening around, is also prohibited. Scooters should be equipped with front and rear lights, and at night or in poor visibility, users should wear a reflective vest on their clothes.
New rules also apply to the park. Often, left electric scooters hinder the passage of pedestrians, now it will be punished with fines.
It is worth noting that sales of electric scooters in France have increased significantly in the past two years. In 2018, 232749 such devices were acquired. This is due to their availability (on average 490 euros per unit): prices have declined slightly compared with previous years.