'Preventing Reckless E-Scooter Deregulation'... Cheon Junho Proposes Regulation Strengthening Bill

A citizen wearing no protective gear is riding an electric scooter recklessly between cars on the Seoul Namsan Circular Road. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] A bill to block the easing of electric scooter regulations scheduled to take effect next month has been proposed. This comes in response to criticism that allowing electric scooter use for children as young as 13 will further increase the already rapidly rising number of electric scooter accidents.

On the 17th, Rep. Chun Junho of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, announced that he will take the lead in proposing the "Partial Amendment to the Road Traffic Act," which focuses on strengthening regulations on electric scooters.

The bill includes mandatory acquisition of a personal mobility device license or a motorized bicycle license for those who wish to operate electric scooters. The minimum age for obtaining a license is also restricted to 16 years or older, the same as for motorized bicycles.

The maximum speed of personal mobility devices such as electric scooters will be lowered from 25 km/h to 20 km/h, and regulations imposing fines for not wearing safety equipment will be reinstated. Penalties for drunk driving, which had been significantly relaxed, will also be strengthened again.

According to the amended Road Traffic Act, which will take effect on the 10th of next month, electric scooters, currently classified as motorized bicycles, will be reclassified as "personal mobility devices" with a maximum speed of 25 km/h and a total weight under 30 kg. Accordingly, anyone aged 13 or older will be able to use them without any license.

Although the upcoming law mandates wearing protective gear such as helmets, there are no provisions for enforcement or penalties. Even if police detect helmet non-compliance, no fines or penalties will be imposed. Currently, failure to wear protective gear can result in a fine of 20,000 KRW.

In the case of drunk driving, while imprisonment is currently possible, reclassification as a personal mobility device will mean that only fines, similar to those for bicycles, will be imposed.

Members of civic groups such as the Green Bicycle Volunteer Corps Federation and Bicycle 21 held a press conference on the morning of the 9th near Namdaemun Market in Jung-gu, Seoul, urging safety measures for citizens regarding the allowance of electric kickboards on bicycle lanes. [Image source=Yonhap News]

However, as electric scooter-related traffic accidents have surged recently, there have been ongoing calls against reckless deregulation. An analysis of data received from the Insurance Development Institute and the Mutual Aid Association under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport by Rep. Chun Junho's office revealed that from 2017 to June of this year, over three years, there were 2,227 insurance-processed electric scooter-related accidents, with insurance payouts totaling 219.3 billion KRW.

The number of accidents has continued to rise. The number of accidents was 363 in 2017, 613 in 2018, and 785 last year, showing a continuous sharp increase. In the first half of this year alone, 466 cases have been reported. Considering that these statistics only include insurance-processed accidents, the actual number of electric scooter accidents is estimated to be much higher.

If this amendment passes the National Assembly, unlicensed operation of electric scooters will be prohibited, and operation by those under 16 will be banned. With the maximum speed lowered and safety regulations strengthened, it is expected that controversies over electric scooter safety will decrease.

Rep. Chun Junho said, "The easing of electric scooter regulations must be reconsidered from the beginning," adding, "Reckless deregulation could seriously threaten the safety of our children and the public, so I will do my utmost to ensure that the electric scooter regulation strengthening bill is quickly discussed in the National Assembly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.