On July 28th, two teenagers were hit by a car while riding an electric scooter together without wearing helmets in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do. Due to the severe impact, they went flying into the air and crashed to the ground. In fact, there are numerous accidents involving E-scooters including those on university campuses.

  Electric scooters are classified as a ‘personal mobility device.’ According to ⸢Road Traffic Act⸥ Article 2, a personal mobility device is a motorcycle, which weighs less than 30 kilograms, equipped with a motor that cuts out when the device reaches a speed of 25 kilometers per hour, as prescribed by the Ordinance of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Therefore, electric scooter users must follow the ‘rules of personal mobility device.’ The specified rules are: ‘Wear a life protection outfit,’ ‘No driver under the influence of drugs or other intoxicating substances,’ ‘Turn on the headlight or tail light at night,’ ‘No driver with passengers onboard in excess of the passenger capacity.’ In addition, personal mobility devices shall pass along a bike lane and shall obtain drivers’ licenses for motorcycles or higher. However, electric scooter accidents are constantly occurring because users do not comply with these obligations. A CBT reporter also saw many users who did not follow the rules on campus. Therefore, in order to understand the actual condition of the problem, the CBT reporter met CBNU students to discuss the issue.

  Shin Ye-rin (Dept. of Environmental Engineering, 22): I regularly use the electric scooters, and honestly I do not follow all the prescribed rules while using them. I think it is because I casually thought that there would not be a problem using the electric scooters if I had a driver’s license. Therefore, before using personal mobility devices, I think it is necessary to pay attention to the revised ⸢Road Traffic Act⸥, check what actions can be punished, and make efforts to follow the rules. I think that following the ⸢Road Traffic Act⸥ enacted for safety has a big shortcoming though, which is that it is left up to the individual’s personal conscience. Therefore, it can be improved by introducing a system that imposes fines as soon as people do not comply.

  Hwang Chae-yeon (Dept. of Astronomy & Space Science, 22): I do not use electric scooters. I always see people using electric scooters whenever I walk around campus. As far as I know, the rules for using a personal mobility device include ‘wearing a helmet, and not sharing rides for more than two people.’ However, I have seen all the users of the electric scooters not wearing helmets, and I often have seen two or more people riding the electric scooters together. I think there are many advantages to the e-scooter system, such as reduced commuting time and easy access to the electric scooters. However, there are also some disadvantages such as accidents involving electric scooters and pedestrians, and disorderly parked electric scooters. I think it will be helpful to use safely if helmets are provided with each electric scooter.

  In recent years, electric scooters have been widely distributed, and related accidents has increased. Although the ⸢Road Traffic Act⸥ has been revised to ensure the safe use of electric scooters, it is also true that the law is frequently revised which may cause confusion to users. Police to regulate them are in place, but this is not enough. It is especially difficult to regulate electric scooters in campuses. According to ⸢Road Traffic Act⸥ Article 2-1(d), ‘road’ is defined as ‘An open area practically necessary to ensure safe and smooth movement of traffic of many unspecified persons, motor vehicles, and horses.’ The university campus is an open place for everyone, but if an automated gate is installed at the entrance of the campus, the police view it as a ‘place where vehicle access is restricted’ and do not consider it as a road. Therefore the campus is not subject to crackdowns.

  However, that is why efforts to follow the rules on one’s own responsibility are all the more important. Electric scooter accidents are a life-threatening problem. Riding the electric scooters on campus is never safe. Therefore, above all, students need a law-abiding spirit. It is time to focus on ‘safe’ electric scooters, not ‘fast and convenient’ electric scooters.