There is no scooter alarm, but their diffusion has literally exploded and their traffic must be regulated. The vehicle symbol of so-called soft mobility continues to cause discussion, both for fatal accidents (few in proportion to use) and above all for the "urban jungle" effect and the possible discomfort for pedestrians and cyclists. To date, to travel on these vehicles, increasingly fashionable after the Conte 2 government bonus and in 2020 rented 7,4 million times in the many cities that offer them in sharing (now one shared vehicle out of three is an electric scooter), there is neither the obligation to wear a helmet, nor the obligation to insure (although for a year now the companies have sensed the 'deal offering ad hoc protections), nor the requirement for a driving license for minors (in Italy you just need to be 14 to drive them) and the speed limit is 25 km/h, considered a bit high given that these vehicles roam everywhere, even on sidewalks and cycle paths.
Accidents are still very few, if we consider that in 2020 only in sharing mode 14,4 million kilometers were traveled throughout Italy, and Assosharing in the Observatory on sharing mobility has calculated that for every 10 thousand rented scooters there are only 44 accidents (0,004%). But the issue still needs to be addressed in time and the Transport Commission of the Chamber is ready to discuss a bill after the summer. Above all, both at national and local level (the theme enters the Municipal game, especially in Rome), the center-right is pushing and the new law should introduce: the obligation to wear a helmet; license for minors; arrows and reflectors for traveling in the dark; the speed limit to 30 km/h only on the road, while it would be lowered to 20 km/h on cycle paths and even to 6 km/h on sidewalks and pedestrian areas. Like any good law that respects itself, penalties would also be envisaged for offenders on scooters: from 50 to 250 euros for those who exceed the speed limits, from 41 to 168 euros for those who park on the sidewalk.
The new regulation could, if discussed quickly, enter into force at the end of the year or at the beginning of 2022, and would place Italy in a vanguard situation compared to other European countries, given that the issue is new almost everywhere and to date only in France and Germany insurance is compulsory, but on the other hand there are no age limits and no helmet obligation. Counting only shared vehicles, in Italy there are already 42 electric scooters around, in as many as 40 cities across the country. By now a reality that fully supports that of the rental of scooters and bicycles. In this regard, Assosharing itself also wanted to have its say in the debate, which collects the data and in some ways gives a less dramatic picture of the situation: "The sharing scooter, in addition to always having insurance coverage, is among the most controlled means in the city, thanks to GPS geolocation”, explains Matteo Tanzilli, President of Assosharing.
Assosharing pushes for a dialogue with the institutions to defend both the growth of an ecological vehicle and urban decorum and safety, and has also put forward some proposals: "Among the proposals we have already made - continues Tanzilli - there is a large highway code education plan mandatory for those who will take the vehicles in sharing, including a tutorial in the app, as well as a call center dedicated to the administrations and the local police to promptly reposition the vehicles parked in an unsuitable way and photos of the parking lot". Will it be enough? Meanwhile, there are already 5 deaths in Italy (1 in 2020, 4 this year): very few and incomparable with those aboard cars, scooters or even bicycles, but it is advisable to organize in time.
