Down the street in central Oslo comes Renato Manzi whizzing by on an electric scooter. He is one of the few who has acquired the statutory insurance that the vast majority of e-scooter owners have not managed. – I have insurance. It only costs me NOK 700 a year, so that’s fine, he says. – Very worried With the Easter sun scorching over several parts of the country and more and more bare roads, many are now falling for the temptation to take the electric scooter out of the garage. According to the Traffic Insurance Association (Tff), it may seem that many of these have forgotten an important thing. That it is now, in the same way as a car, illegal to use them without liability insurance. – We are very concerned that more people have not taken out insurance. The consequences of driving without this can be huge, says Stine Neverdal, communications manager at Tff. – In the worst case, it can make you a debt slave or you can even miss out on compensation if you injure yourself, she continues. – SCARY: Stine Neverdal, communications manager at Tff, thinks it’s scary that not more people have their insurance in order. Photo: Frode Fjerdingstad Could cost you many millions According to Sigmund Clementz, head of communications at If, it could cost you dearly if something serious happens and you drive uninsured. – Imagine that you are driving a 23-year-old law student with prospects for a very well-paid job in the future. The person suffers a serious head injury. Then it could quickly be a question of a two-digit million amount that you personally have to pay in compensation, he explains. Electric bikes have become very popular in Norway in recent years. Serious personal injuries have thus followed. Some injuries have been permanent, and some have even resulted in fatalities. THINKS AN ACCIDENT NEEDS TO OCCUR: Sigmund Clementz in If insurance, believes it will take one more serious accident before people realize the seriousness. Photo: Press photo – Too few understand the seriousness From 1 January 2023, all privately owned electric scooters must be insured, after the authorities have decided that these are to be covered by the Motor Liability Act. Nevertheless, both Tff report that many people either do not know about or choose to bet when it comes to this statutory insurance. According to the association, as many as 9 out of 10 electric scooter owners have not yet insured their scooter. – Far too few understand the seriousness. Not many people take the chance of driving without insurance. Why do they do it on a scooter, where you yourself are so exposed, she says. Was seriously injured Someone who has really experienced what can happen when the accident is first out on an electric scooter is Andre Melchior Larssen. A front wheel into a tram track led to seven operations, 40 days in hospital, splints and screws in the legs and a lot of pain. – You should think a little through, what if I run someone over, what if I ruin someone else’s life. It can have major consequences. Then it’s probably a good idea to have insurance, he says. SEVERELY INJURED: Andre Melchior Larssen experienced for himself what an encounter with the ground on an electric scooter can mean. SEVERAL OPERATIONS: Larssen ended up with several operations on his leg and many nights in hospital. Few insurance policies are sold In Norway, figures from Statistics Norway show that around half a million electric bicycles and electric scooters have been imported into Norway. After the insurance mandate came into effect, If has sold around 4,000 insurance policies. Tryg states in a press release that they have sold a few thousand policies, Gjensidige just over 5,000. Several of the insurance companies are calling for better follow-up from the police regarding whether the scooters people ride are insured. Clementz calls for, among other things, a registration obligation on the same level as a car. This is how liability insurance works on electric scooters. It covers damage to other people’s belongings and property, as well as personal injury. Children under the age of 12 can use the electric scooters, but the parents must pay for the insurance. Children under 15 must wear a helmet. If not, the insurance does not apply. If children are to use the electric scooter, this must be reported to the insurance company. This leads to a risk surcharge in the price. The insurance follows the vehicle, i.e. the electric scooter. The serial number of the electric scooter works in the same way as the registration number of a car. If you have several electric scooters, you must have several insurance policies. There are no restrictions on how many people can use an electric scooter, but as I said, it must be clarified if anyone under the age of 18 uses it. Liability insurance applies to electric scooters with a maximum speed between 10 and 20 km/h. Those who go below 10 km/h may be covered by contents insurance. Those who go over 20 km/h are illegal and cannot be insured. The price varies by brand and type. And insurance company. At SR-Bank, the price is between NOK 600 and 1,200 a year. Then you also get fire and theft included. Gjensidige states on its website that the insurance costs NOK 59 a month, while with If it costs NOK 65 a month. Different companies have different prices, and may have other differences. Controlled to a small extent news has been in contact with the Ministry of Transport and Oslo Police District about how these rules are followed up. The civil service in the Ministry of Transport writes that they are aware that few have taken out insurance and that they will monitor developments. The press manager in the Oslo police district says that it will not be a priority to check electric scooters to uncover a lack of liability insurance. The insurance is not searchable by the police. She says that it will only be relevant to check insurance in the event of accidents.
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