Alex Trelinski
SPAIN’S DGT traffic authority will clamp down on electric scooters under a new law which will ban riders aged under 16 and order the mandatory wearing of a helmet at all times.
All electric scooter owners will also have to submit their details to a vehicle registry before they can legally ride one on public roads.
The measures are included in the DGT’s draft reform of the country’s General Traffic Regulations.
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Other proposed regulations would restrict scooters to just urban areas; the need to have a luminous back reflector: and riders to wear reflective vests in certain circumstances like using a scooter for work like deliveries.
The DGT says that half of people killed in traffic accidents last year were pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists or users of personal mobility vehicles.
The new law seeks to leave pavements exclusively for pedestrians, although individual municipalities will be able to regulate the parking of two-wheelers so long as they do not hinder access.
Parking near pedestrian crossings will also be banned to improve visibility and accessibility, and to protect people with reduced mobility.
The use of helmets will be mandatory for all two-wheeler users, removing previous exemptions and the need to wear light or retro-reflective elements in conditions of low visibility.
The DGT plans have go through various ministries before getting finally approval by the Council of Ministers.
