- City talks to local vendors and agrees to lower the maximum speed limit from 25km to 20km -
- City also significantly strengthens safety, with proposal to mandate verification for minors up to 16 years old driving without a license -
Incheon Metropolitan City is strengthening its control over personal mobility (PM) devices, including electric scooters, with lower speed limits.
The City recently hosted a meeting with four local vendors offering shared personal mobility (PM) services such as electric scooters and electric bicycles, and agreed to lower the maximum speed limit to 20kph and mandate a verification process for users up to 16 years of age.
<Best Driver Association supporters moving and organizing PM devices>
<Parking and recharging (SU:M Station) PM devices>
According to the Road Traffic Act, the maximum speed limit for a PM device is 25kph. However, Incheon and local vendors decided to lower the maximum speed of electric scooters and other devices to 20kph from February 5.
Industry data and analysis revealed that the average speed of PM devices in Incheon was, in fact, slower than 20kph in real-life conditions due to crosswalks, other PM users, pedestrians, hills, etc.
Also, results from a survey by the Samsung Transportation Safety Culture Research Institute showed that “if the maximum speed of an electric scooter is reduced to 20kph, the stopping distance can be reduced by 26% and the force of impact by 36%, preventing accidents and reducing the possibility of serious injury in the event of an accident.”
Meanwhile, the City agreed to mandate the age verification for users up to 16 years of age. Minors under the age of 16 cannot drive a shared electric scooter without verification, and users over the age of 16 need at least a motorcycle license to use an electric scooter.
With the number of younger users misappropriating other people’s IDs or riding PM devices in tandem with other passengers (two to three passengers total) skyrocketing, Incheon is looking to prevent accidents by mandating a verification process for minors.
Going forward, the City plans to continue its dialogue with industry stakeholders to create a safer environment and culture for PM devices.
