"How Are We Supposed to Avoid These E-Scooter Maniacs?" Seoul Metropolitan Government Moves to Crack Down Amid Unending E-Scooter Accidents

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[The Financial News] The Seoul Metropolitan Government is pushing a plan to make verification of a driver’s license mandatory when renting an electric kickboard (e-scooter). The move comes in response to a rise in accidents involving electric kickboards.
On the 18th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that on the 15th it had given advance notice of legislation for a partial amendment to the "Seoul Metropolitan Government Ordinance on the Promotion of Safe Use of Personal Mobility Devices" reflecting this measure. The city plans to collect public comments until the 23rd of this month and then promulgate the amendment.
Accidents involving electric kickboards have surged over the past several years and have become a serious social issue. A new slang term, often rendered as "kick-deer," has even emerged, likening e-scooter riders who suddenly appear on roads or sidewalks and create dangerous situations to wild deer that dart out into traffic without warning.
The amended ordinance requires electric kickboard rental operators to verify without fail whether users hold a valid driver’s license. If they fail to do so, the Mayor of Seoul may request corrective action from the police and other relevant authorities.
Under the current Road Traffic Act, electric kickboards fall under the category of personal mobility devices. To operate them, a Motorized Bicycle License or higher class of driver’s license is required.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government explained the reason for the amendment, stating, "There has been a steady increase in civil complaints about accidents caused by electric kickboards and about the deterioration of the pedestrian environment," and added, "In particular, over the past five years, of the 570 accidents involving unlicensed driving of personal mobility devices, 393 cases, or 68.9%, involved unlicensed drivers aged 19 or younger, indicating that this has become a risk factor for traffic safety among adolescents."
Meanwhile, data released by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA) show that over the past three years, the area with the highest number of personal mobility (PM) accidents was Songpa District. Seoul Songpa Police Station handled an annual average of 54 PM accidents over that period. Accidents were also frequent in the jurisdictions of Suseo Police Station (46.7 cases per year) and Gangnam Police Station (40.3 cases per year). Seoul Nowon Police Station (22.3 cases) and Seoul Gangseo Police Station (21 cases) followed, but the gap with Songpa and Gangnam was relatively large.
Songpa also recorded the highest number of accidents involving two-wheeled vehicles, including motorcycles. Over the past three years, an annual average of 217.3 such accidents occurred within the jurisdiction of Seoul Songpa Police Station. Dongdaemun Police Station (212.7 cases), Seoul Gwanak Police Station (165.7 cases), and Seoul Gangseo Police Station (154.7 cases) followed.
gaa1003@fnnews.com Ahn Gaeul Reporter