Been out drinking and think you'll ride an e-scooter home? Riding while using your phone? Dinking with a friend? These offences could lose you your driver's licence.
E-scooters are in the news yet again after Melbourne doctors called for greater regulations, as emergency rooms become clogged with injured riders, many of whom dink (travel illegally with two passengers), ride while over the legal alcohol limit, or while using their phones.
Part of the rapid rise in the popularity of e-scooters – like the omnipresent Lime Electric Scooters – stems from public ignorance around the legal consequences, especially the fact that you can lose your driver’s license for illegal behaviour.
E-scooter offences that could lose your driver’s license
- failing to wear a helmet
- riding on a footpath
- careless riding
- using a mobile phone while riding
- riding under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
In recent years, electric scooters, or e-scooters, have emerged as a popular and convenient mode of transportation in urban areas worldwide. While these compact and eco-friendly vehicles offer a quick solution to last-mile commuting, a closer look reveals a host of dangers that accompany their rise in popularity.
If you ride an e-scooter, you have to be under the same standard 0.05 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) as you do when driving a car. This limit applies regardless of the status or conditions of any motor vehicle licence held and irrespective of the age of the rider. Exactly the same no-tolerance rules apply to the use of illicit substances and police can force riders to halt and undergo alcohol or drug tests while on e-scooters.
Many riders see e-scooters as an alternative to an Uber after nights out drinking, without realising that it’s actually illegal to ride e-scooters while riding under the influence of alcohol or drugs
What may come as more of a surprise is that offending on an e-scooter can result in an immediate driver licence ban, if offending is identified. So taking that e-scooter home after a night out drinking has the same legal consequences as driving. A DUI comes with serious consequences, including a criminal record that can prevent you travelling to certain countries or getting certain jobs.
What’s more, if you own the e-scooter and it’s non-compliant (i.e. it can exceed 25 kilometres per hour) then a 0.00 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) limit applies. If you’re found on one of these without a motorbike license, you can be charged as driving an unregistered motor vehicle.
When you consider the societal consequences, this comes as little surprise, given one of the primary concerns is the lack of regulation and enforcement surrounding e-scooter usage.
Many cities have witnessed a surge in accidents and injuries related to e-scooter misuse. Riders, often unfamiliar with traffic rules, weave through pedestrians and traffic without adhering to any set guidelines. The absence of proper infrastructure and designated lanes for e-scooters exacerbates the risk, leading to collisions and injuries.
In terms of traffic safety, e-scooters can be silent and difficult to notice, increasing the likelihood of collisions with other vehicles. This issue is compounded by riders neglecting to wear helmets, exposing themselves to severe head injuries in the event of an accident.
Find more about the laws regarding riding e-scooters here.
