A recent investigation by Belgium’s Ministry of Economy found that a majority of the inspected electric scooters on sale in the country fail to meet legal safety standards.
Out of 40 electric scooters inspected, only five fully complied with Belgian regulations. Half of these scooters were sold online, and the other half in physical shops. Just three models from online retailers and two from physical stores were found to adhere to the safety rules.
The violations included missing information about the manufacturer or importer, safety warnings and instructions not available in the correct language, absent CE markings that verify compliance with European safety rules, unclear or missing instructions for safe usage, and incomplete or missing declarations of conformity with EU standards.
"These are not minor details," said the Minister of Consumer Protection, Rob Beenders (Vooruit). "These are basic rules ensuring that people can use a product safely."
In response, Beenders ordered all non-compliant scooters identified in the inspections to be removed from sale.
Investigations into the stores involved will be conducted, and additional measures may follow. Technical tests are also planned for electric scooters later this year.
"This is just the beginning," stated Beenders. "We will continue inspections and act decisively where needed. Soon, I will announce an action plan with Ministers Clarinval [Economy] and Crucke [Mobility] to address scooter safety issues more rapidly."
