From speed limits to mandatory helmets: How countries in Europe are changing their e-scooter rules

Love them or hate them, electric scooters have become something of a fixture in many European countries.

The e-scooter rental market in Europe has boomed in recent years, with e-scooters becoming increasingly popular in urban areas and with younger people.

Revenue in the European e-scooter sharing market is projected to reach €651.90 million this year, according to Statista, while the number of users is estimated to hit 55.5 million by 2026.

E-scooters are seen as an easy, relatively affordable way for people to get around. However recent deaths and accidents involving e-scooters have prompted authorities to take a harder look at the use of such vehicles.

On an EU level, the European Commission is looking at the possibility of drawing up guidelines, while technical standards are also being considered under possible plans for standardisation.

In the meantime, countries are taking matters into their own hands:

Authorities in Rome are moving to clamp down on e-scooters, including restricting their use to adults who must provide formal ID, and further limiting how fast they can go.

The speed limit for e-scooters in the Italian capital will be reduced from 25 km/h to 20 km/h on roads, and 6 km/h in pedestrian areas without cars. The number of e-scooter rental operators will also be limited to three, and there will be restrictions on parking.

The new restrictions are intended to come into force in January 2023, under new draft regulations seen by AFP.

This follows similar restrictions in other European capitals. Paris introduced new rules for rental e-scooters last year, after the death of a pedestrian hit by a scooter.

The new regulations cap the speed limit for rental e-scooters at 10 km/h in some areas of the French capital,