Easy riders and e-scooters
The other night on RBT, two young women riding e-scooters through Adelaide were stopped and breath tested.
After thinking they’d been pulled over for not wearing helmets, the situation escalated when one of the riders blew more than twice the legal limit and was charged with drink driving.
All this trouble for an e-scooter? However, after doing a bit of research, I realised e-scooters are motor vehicles and similar rules apply to when you’re driving a car.
As a result, I’ve compiled a few tips and rules you should follow if you decide to ride an e-scooter along Adelaide’s streets.
Did you know e-scooters are vehicles?
Most people think e-scooters are toys that kids, and big-kids, ride down the street. They don’t necessarily realise that they’re a two-wheeled device powered by an electric motor and battery pack.
With this in mind, e-scooters are considered motor vehicles along with cars, motorbikes, trucks, buses and even tractors.
This also extends to other personal mobility devices (PMDs) such as Segways, electric skateboards, self-balancing unicycles and two-wheeled boards (also known as hoverboards). Essentially any personal electric-powered transportation device is seen as a motor vehicle.
This means that you need to follow the Australian road rules when using an e-scooter, or any other motorised wheeled recreational device.
E-scooter rules
First things first: in South Australia you’re not allowed to ride a privately owned PMD outside of a private property. The same goes for Victoria, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Private use is allowed in other states with varying restrictions.
That said, there’s a few things to think about before taking off on one of the Neuron or Beam e-scooters you might hire for a two-wheeled electric adventure. Riders must:
- be 18 years-old
- wear an approved safety helmet that’s securely fitted
- ride with due care and be considerate of other road users
- have proper control of the e-scooter at all times
- be the only person riding the e-scooter, and
- not exceed the 15km/h speed limit (10km/h in some areas).
These are just some of the laws e-scooter riders must follow. Visit the MyLicence website for a comprehensive list of e-scooter road rules.
Breaking the rules could be costly. Minor offences carry a $60 expiation fee while serious infractions can incur a maximum penalty of $2500.
On top of that, you’ll have to pay a $92 Victims of Crime Levy. And yes, drink and drug driving laws apply when riding e-scooters.
You don’t need a driver’s licence to ride an e-scooter, but if you’re caught doing the wrong thing, fines still apply.
In the most extreme cases, offenders might even face imprisonment.