Despite the practice having been banned since 1 July 2022, half of electric scooter users continue to ride with multiple people at least once a month, a European survey on road users' attitudes (ESRA) by road safety institute Vias revealed on Monday.
In Belgium, 49% of e-scooter users admitted to having ridden with more than one person in the last month, which is higher than the European average (38%). Moreover, 46% of Belgian scooter users say they sometimes run a red light every month. Here again, Belgium is above the European average (34%), Vias notes. More than 60% also ride on the pavement, even though the Highway Code bans this behaviour.
Some 40% of those questioned had ridden at least once in the past month when intoxicated: "The e-scooter is certainly not a safe mode of transport when you are under the influence of alcohol. The slightest unexpected movement can throw you off balance and cause you to fall heavily. As a reminder, the legal alcohol limit of 0.5‰ also applies to driving an electric scooter."
The ESRA survey, which was conducted in 39 countries including 22 EU Member States, did not focus solely on e-scooter use. Nearly one in five Belgians said they had driven a vehicle two hours after taking medication that impaired their driving ability.
Vias deplores the lack of clarity surrounding the use of medication and its link with driving. "It is up to the doctor and pharmacist to inform the patient of the possible impairment of driving ability. For a long time now, the Vias institute has been in favour of a colour code on the packaging of medicines indicating their possible impact on driving ability."
