RIDERS whizzing about on electric scooters will need to take out insurance from January next year amid a surge of deadly incidents – including the recent death of a 49-year-old man in Sevilla.
From 2 January 2026, all electric scooters will require civil liability insurance after a new automotive insurance law was passed in July, aimed at regulating light personal vehicles (PVLs) such as e-scooters, segways and hoverboards.
Until now, taking out insurance has only been compulsory in a handful of cities including Alicante, Benidorm, Castellon and Cordoba – but January’s new law will apply to the whole of Spain.
Users will have to fork out around €100 for an insurance policy that must cover at least €6.45 million per accident for personal injury and €1.3 million for property or material damage.
Under the new rules, e-scooters weighing less than 25 kilos must also have their speed capped at 25km/h, while heavier PVLs will be limited to just 14km/h.
Riders must be 16 years or older – with those under 18 requiring parental permission – and will be required to wear a helmet, with a failure to do so resulting in a fine of up to €200.
The new laws are a reaction to a sharp uptick in the number of accidents involving e-scooters – with riders increasingly taking liberty with the law.
In mid-November, a 49-year-old man died in Sevilla following a collision at night with an e-scooter illegally carrying two teenagers.
According to a study conducted by RACC Mobility Club in Barcelona, one in four e-scooter drivers do not respect rules of the road, such as traffic lights or crossings.
The study also found that over 90% of regular riders are unaware of the new insurance laws coming into effect from January.
In 2024, 13 people were killed in traffic accidents in Spain involving e-scooters.
According to a report by Fundación Mapfire and Cesvimap, there were a total of 396 incidents across the country involving e-scooters last year – leaving over 102 people with serious injuries.
Over 65 per cent of the accidents registered involved collisions with other vehicles, 22 per cent were falls and 10 per cent saw pedestrians hit.
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At last! High time.
I’m not sure I understand this part :”Riders must be 16 years or older – with those under 18 requiring parental permission”
“Riders”= drivers and passengers?
And what about the user of mobiles – both driver and passenger?
Of course, based in what I see scooters have priority at pedestrian crossings!
And I’ve never seen a scooter stopped by the police for infringing regulations.
So a start has been made, but we need to see enforcement.
Just a today, riding in the cyclist lane, at just faster than the traffic in a 30 kph limit street in San Javier, scooter driver and passenger, a young boy both on their phones, crossing back onto the street via a pedestrian crossing, negotiating a roundabout irrespective of priority before disappearing down an alleyway. I wonder if they are still alive tonight.
Such a good point … and so often without helmets and half the time with a passenger
Indeed, helmets. ( And lights) are a rarity – at least in these parts.