New restrictions are being prepared for electric scooters: Lviv is one of the first to introduce a speed limit

In summer, the number of electric scooters on the streets of Ukrainian cities rapidly increases. Along with the popularity of this type of transport, the number of road traffic accidents and injuries also rises, especially among children and teenagers. Medical professionals note that after falls from electric scooters, minors often end up in hospitals with fractures, traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and other serious injuries.

The situation in Lviv is indicative. Only during June and the first two weeks of July, 70 children who were injured while riding electric scooters sought medical help in the city's healthcare facilities.

Experts explain that the main causes of such incidents are neglect of traffic rules, exceeding safe speeds, lack of protective gear, and children operating electric scooters without sufficient skills. At the same time, parents do not always realize that even a short ride without a helmet can end in a serious injury.

As emphasized by the Judicial and Legal Newspaper, the rapid spread of electric scooters, unicycles, hoverboards, and other small electric transport has created a serious challenge for urban infrastructure, which is struggling to adapt to new types of mobility. The increase in the number of accidents forces authorities to seek both legislative and practical ways to improve safety.

For this reason, Ukraine proposes a comprehensive regulation of the use of electric scooters, unicycles, electric bicycles, segways, hoverboards, and other small electric transport. This concerns draft law No. 15284 "On the peculiarities of using small electric transport in Ukraine," the necessity of which the authors explain by the increase in accidents involving such vehicles.

Additionally, draft law No. 3023 is being prepared for the second reading in the Verkhovna Rada, which aims to define the legal status of personal light electric transport and its users.

Meanwhile, while legislative initiatives are still under consideration, some cities have already begun independently implementing additional safety measures.

In particular, Lviv is preparing to limit the speed of electric scooters. The city has already identified the first 11 locations where experimental road signs will be installed to limit the speed of electric scooters, unicycles, and bicycles to 15 km/h.

According to the Lviv City Council, the new signs will appear in areas recognized as potentially dangerous based on accident analysis and residents' complaints.

The Department of Urban Mobility and Street Infrastructure noted that when selecting these locations, they took into account the patrol police statistics on road traffic accidents involving pedestrians and electric scooter users for 2023–2025.

The speed limit is planned to be introduced at the following locations:

• Intersection of Vyacheslav Chornovil Avenue and Lypynskoho Street;
• Kulisha Street;
• Shevchenka Street (from Pstrak Street to Khorvatska Street);
• Zakhysnykiv Ukrainy Street;
• Horodotska Street (from Meretyna Street to Ozarkevycha Street);
• Doroshenka Street (from building No. 45 to No. 65);
• Kopernyka Street (from Lema Square to Bandera Street);
• Soborna Square;
• Pekarska Street (from Soborna Square to Tershakovtsiv Street);
• Pasichna Street (from Holubets Street to Tadzhytska Street);
• Intersection of Knyahyni Olhy Street and Volodymyr Velykyi Street.

At the same time, European countries are already tightening requirements for users of such transport. In particular, in Poland, children under 13 years old are prohibited from operating electric scooters and other personal transport devices on roads. The only exception is movement in residential areas under adult supervision.

Also, persons under 16 years old are required to wear protective helmets when riding bicycles, electric scooters, electric bicycles, and other personal transport devices.

The first fine was issued just a few hours after the new rules came into force. The fine was given to the mother of a 14-year-old teenager who rode an electric scooter without a helmet.

The article posted in the "Judicial and Legal Newspaper" raised the issue of possible introduction of technical control for such transport in Ukraine — in particular, certification during sale or technical inspection during operation. At the same time, the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories notes that in the near future electric transport will not receive the status of full-fledged wheeled vehicles and will not be subject to mandatory classification or certification.

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