It is not okay to be nine years old and live in the village on Nordmøre, far away from veins, skule and the nearest bus stop. For the Romfo Mikalsen family, two electric scooters were the solution for the 9 1/2 and 11 year old daughters. – It was very fun, I was very surprised, says Kornelia Romfo Mikaelsen (11). She had a birthday on May 23rd. Then both sisters got new scooters. But from midnight, it was forbidden for anyone under 12 to ride an electric scooter. – Sad. We should actually start using them for school, but now we can not, since we are not over 12 years old, the sisters say. The family lives in the village, at the end of a long downhill, without the right to a school bus. Thus, it is cumbersome to get to school and veins. – Dangerous vehicles The electric scooters have created both joy and frustration since they appeared in Norway. Several have received serious injuries, fatal accidents have also been reported. Both traffic experts, parents and emergency doctors have called for age limits, rules for speed, helmet use and blood alcohol content. Regional owner Per Gjerde in Trygg Trafikk calls the electric scooter dangerous. He would rather see that there was a 16-year age limit. Photo: Morten Brakestad / Morten Brakestad – It is absolutely necessary. Electric scooters are a dangerous vehicle. It is a great means of transport, but there are far too many accidents related to electric scooters, says regional owner Per Gjerde in Trygg Trafikk. He claims that it is seven times more dangerous to use electric scooters than ordinary bicycles. He says they would most like to have a 16-year age limit, as there are several places elsewhere in Europe. That is the goal to achieve in the long run. Will warn parents about illegal driving Many Norwegian children have received electric scooters in recent years. In addition, there are many companies that rent out, in Oslo alone there are 8,000 two-wheelers. Police attorney Mathias Häber in Møre og Romsdal police district says they will enforce the new regulations for electric scooters in the same way as other orders and bans in traffic. Police attorney Mathias Häber says they will notify parents if they stop children who break the new rules. Photo: Remi Sagen / news – Children under the age of 15 will not be fined, they are under criminal age and go unpunished. But they must probably count on parents and guardians being notified and informed about the relationship, he says. Electric scooters in the garage There may be many used electric scooters for sale in the future. The mother of the girls, Jeanette Romfo Mikalsen, laughs a little at the fact that she had not checked the rules carefully before she bought birthday presents. Now they stay standing in the garage until the girls are old enough. Mother Jeanette Romfo Mikalsen thinks the rules should be clear at the same time as it was allowed to import electric scooters to Norway. On the move, she forgot to check. Photo: Eirik Haukenes / news – Both me and my father work so that we are home late in the afternoon, so they do not get anything if they do not get there on their own or have parents of friends who can drive and pick them up, she says and add: – It was a short-lived joy. Hermine and Kornelia Romfo Mikalsen earlier this week when it was still allowed for children under 12 to ride an electric scooter. As of today, it is illegal. Photo: Eirik Haukenes / news
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Electric scooter bikes now become illegal for those under 12 years – new rules from 15 June 2022 – news Møre og Romsdal – Local news, TV and radio
