It is the Ministry of Transport and Communications that has reclassified electric scooters and similar vehicles to “small electric motor vehicles” and introduced insurance obligations under the Motor Liability Act, says a press release from If.
Liability insurance covers the costs if you cause damage to other people, vehicles or property when using the vehicle.
In the summer of 2019, the electric scooters were to take over Norwegian cities in earnest, and the behavior of consumers when driving, parking and accidents set many people’s minds on fire. Since that time, there have been new measures and rules against the vehicles. Last summer, the rules were tightened, among other things with alcohol and age limits.
Also read: The Minister of Transport defends the age limit on electric scooters
– The law meets itself at the door
The further tightening at New Year causes problems for many owners of the vehicles.
Ragnar Nuland (62) is among those reacting to the new law, partly because hundreds of thousands of vehicles cannot be insured.
– There are over half a million imported electric scooters in the country, and over 530,000 of these cannot be insured. They cannot get the speed limiter required. What about the 8-year-old who received a vehicle for Christmas that could not be used after January 1, asks Nuland.
Nuland has been in contact with the police and inquired about what he will do when the law on liability insurance comes into force. He thinks they didn’t have a good answer.
– I spoke to the police and asked if I can use my vehicle from 1 January and how they can enforce such a law. The problem and the number I presented were completely new to those down at the police chamber, he claims, adding:
– The law meets itself at the door. It’s a tramp that doesn’t look like the cat.
Furthermore, Nuland says that he and many consumers lose a joy and a hobby when many of the vehicles become illegal. He especially feels sorry for children and young people.
He says it is not on the will, but that as of today it is not possible to get insurance.
– You lose a hobby and a joy, but not least these vehicles are very practical. We would like to have insurance, but there is no possibility of getting it, says Nuland.
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Think they are deprived of the benefits
The 62-year-old emphasizes that several of the measures taken in the past have worked well, including closing the rental at night. Now he believes the negative aspects overshadow the positive aspects of using the vehicles.
– I notice that there are fewer vehicles. It deprives us of the freedom to get out, as the vehicles we stand on are illegal. This has been a positive innovation for the environment and for young people, he says.
Nuland feels that the usefulness and enjoyment of the vehicles is suffocated by all the laws and restrictions. He says, among other things, that the vehicle has given him great health benefits.
– We are deprived of the benefits we have had a taste of. In Kristiansand, people ride unicycles to and from work, which is both free and environmentally friendly. Should one be forced onto buses and public transport, he wonders.
The southerner has not checked the price among the insurance companies, but has a friend who will struggle due to the order for liability insurance.
– I have a friend who drives tourists on a Segway in Kristiansand. He has to pay up to 80,000 for insurance now, and will most likely have to close down, concludes Nuland.
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– An unacceptably high number of injuries
– The explosive increase in use in recent years has unfortunately resulted in an unacceptably high number of injuries. In order to safeguard the safety, security and accessibility of both users of such vehicles and their fellow road users, we have made a number of strictures in the regulations relating to their use, says State Secretary in the Ministry of Transport, Tom Kalsås, to Nettavisen.
He says that research shows that to the greatest extent it replaces public transport, cycling and walking, and is clear that the electric vehicles are a positive addition to the micro-mobility of the cities.
– We facilitate the responsible use of such vehicles, but it is particularly important that the use takes into account other road users, especially pedestrians, he says.
Since the introduction of electric scooters, a number of measures have been introduced. The latest in the series is that the vehicles are covered by the Motor Liability Act, which means that the owners are obliged to have insurance.
– The purpose is to make both the commercial players and private owners responsible to a greater extent, as well as provide financial incentives to reduce accident costs and thus contribute to safer use. In addition, this ensures the injured party better compensation coverage in the event of accidents, says the State Secretary.
Two to three to the emergency room daily in Oslo
Accident statistics from the Oslo Accident and Emergency Service show a significant decrease in injury figures from extremely high levels in the summer of 2021 (14-15 per day). Nevertheless, around two to three people still have to go to the emergency room in Oslo every day during the season, according to Kalsås.
He emphasizes that the Ministry of Transport and Communications is following the situation and developments closely, and is constantly considering possible and additional measures if necessary.
Ever since the rules for small electric vehicles were established in 2018, it has been forbidden to use vehicles that are not within the technical limitations. This typically applies to electric scooters with a constructive top speed above the permitted 20 km/h. These vehicles represent an unacceptable risk in traffic, and it has never been permitted to use them, the State Secretary points out.
Furthermore, he says that they are aware that more people still use these illegal vehicles, but that the new law can reduce this.
– We hope that the insurance obligation can help owners of illegal vehicles understand the risks of using them – and park them for good.
And where Nuland wants a solution for those who do not have the opportunity to insure their vehicles, Kalsås believes that this can be done on certain vehicles.
– It may be possible to have certain illegal vehicles converted so that they become legal, for example with a statutory speed limiter, he concludes.
