The number of serious traffic accidents involving electric scooter drivers has increased almost 20-fold in the past 4 years, the National Union of Insurance Companies (UNSAR) announced on Tuesday, citing data provided by the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police.
During this period, 198 serious accidents involving electric scooters occurred in Romania. In their wake, 13 people died, more than 200 people were seriously injured and 12 were lightly injured, insurance companies reported with reference to police data.
The majority of accidents were caused by the fault of scooter drivers, the main reason being the violation of traffic rules, namely: not complying with the speed of movement to the road conditions, not giving priority to vehicles, not maintaining safety when changing the direction of traffic and driving in the lane. the opposite direction.
However, it can be assumed that the total number of road traffic accidents involving electric scooter users is much higher, given the fact that the only events that are covered in terms of statistics are those that lead to victims disclosed by the police ( this it is likely that many accidents that resulted in only material losses were not declared), states the Union of Insurance Companies.
What solutions to the problem of scooter accidents are offered by insurance companies
With all this in mind, several insurers have launched insurance products that also offer financial protection for such contingencies.
Therefore, if a person riding an electric scooter or bicycle injures someone or causes material damage, the corresponding financial costs can be covered by the insurer within the limit of liability covered by the purchased policy.
At the same time, if scooter liability insurance helps when an accident occurs due to the fault of its driver, causing damage to third parties, then an accident, health or life insurance policy can be effective for the at-fault party. decisions in the event that medical assistance is required.
Rules for using scooters in Bucharest: Drivers must be over 14 years old and have a driver’s license – draft
E-scooters rented in self-service mode via online platforms must only be ridden by persons over 14 years of age who carry an ID and obey traffic rules, and entry must be made on cycle paths where they are, or only on roads with a maximum speed limit of 50 km/h, where there are no bicycle lanes.
It is also forbidden to use gadgets, in particular headphones, while driving an electric scooter.
These rules are proposed in new Regulation on the conditions of use of electric scooters in Bucharestsubmitted for public discussion by the capital’s mayor’s office.
The draft decision approving the Regulation on the conditions of use of self-service electric scooters rented through online platforms in Bucharest has been put up for public consultation until September 22, the date by which Bucharest residents can submit proposals.
The project can be viewed at https://www3.pmb.ro/institutii/cgmb/dezb_publica/proiecte.
The regulation applies to operators of e-scooter parks as well as their users and sets out clear conditions for the use of e-scooters regarding the age of the user or the areas of the road on which they are allowed to ride or park. .
Photo source: Dreamstime.com.
Source: Hot News RO
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