Emergency Doctor Wants Stronger Regulations On Electric Scooters

An emergency care doctor at the Landspítali hospital has been aware of injuries since electric scooters were introduced to Reykjavík at the start of this month, MBL reports. While emphasising that none of these injuries have been serious, he believes that Iceland should learn from other countries in establishing safety regulations for electric scooters.

Jón Magnús Kristjánsson, who is the head doctor of emergency care, told reporters that the hospital has attended to injuries ranging from bruising to broken bones, all related to electric scooters use, which were only introduced to Reykjavík on October 1st.

While these accidents have not been serious nor great in number, Jón believes the time is now to establish clearer rules on electric scooter use.

“In my opinion, the same rules should apply to [electric scooters] that apply to other vehicles that can travel up to the same speeds, such as electric vespas,” he told reporters. “I believe it’s a prime occasion to follow this better. We unreservedly recommend people wear helmets when riding these, and it should of course be required of children.”

As it stands now, while scooters can travel up to 25KPH, they are required to be ridden on the pavement. Driving one under the influence can bring a 20,000 ISK fine, but there are otherwise no specific regulations for electric scooters.