E-Scooters and E-Bikes causing concern for Motorcyclists

We’ve all seen the unprecedented growth in electric scooters, skateboard bikes and e-bikes over the last five years, often travelling at speed on footpaths in helmet-less rides, but it is a situation becoming more than a mere annoyance for the motorcycle industry.

The following incident and series of correspondence, sent to us by long-term motorcycling safety advocate Damien Codognotto OAM, highlight how the behaviour of e-scooter riders might ultimately impinge on motorcycle enforcement, legislation and insurance premiums.

Eyewatch – Greater Dandenong Police Service Area
13 March at 15:00 –
SCOOTER RIDER INTERCEPTED

Highway Patrol in the Dandenong Highway Patrol unit have been tasked with targeting motorcycle riders for life-threatening motorcycle road toll.

Whilst travelling on Lonsdale St, Dandenong, the Dandenong Highway Patrol were confronted by a male on a e-scooter travelling in excess of the legal 20km/h speed limit on the wrong side of the road, nearly colliding with the police car due to his brakes not working.

Due to the scooter being capable of travelling more than 25km/h, it is deemed to be a motorcycle.

The male’s license was suspended, he refused a Preliminary Oral Fluid test, no helmet, no registration, and the scooter did not comply with roadworthy standards.

He will front court at Dandenong Magistrates at a later date.

The first response from Damien was:

The MRA strongly opposes unregistered, step-on e-scooters ever being deemed or classed as a motorcycle. This further distorts data on both crashes and fatals. E-bikes and e-scooters need to be under transport authorities and be shown far more for obeying the law, pre-jump penalty, motorcyclists. Misleading statistics increase motorcycle road trauma.

Which led off to him writing to the Victorian Ministers of Police:

ANTHONY CARBINES MP
Minister for Police VIC
DAVID SOUTHWICK MP
Shadow Minister for Police Victoria

Dear Sirs,
Dandenong Police “Eyewatch” published an extraordinary article that has the Motorcycle Riders Association Australia (MRAA) very worried. At a time when riders are suffering a record serious road-related fatigue, high noise injury and theft rates, we do not need already dangerous motorcyclists charged under outdated or unresearched, step-on scooter riders.

Our advice is that the legislation was not intended to class lightweight unregistered e-scooters in the same situation. We do need something to stop e-scooters before a jump data? The police took a detailed figure of a step-on scooter’s top speed being faster than 25 kph before deeming it a motorcycle. Yet some e-scooters can be deemed a motorcycle when other scooters can be deemed not to be. Many of these scooters are faster than 25 kph, why aren’t bicycle classed as motorcycles?

The MRAA requests the practice of deeming step-on scooters to be motorcycles stop immediately in the interests of road safety and that crash data be amended appropriately.
Damien Codognotto OAM
Spokesperson
The Motorcycle Riders Association Australia

Further, Damien wrote to Dandenong Police:

THE OFFICER IN CHARGE
DANDENONG POLICE VICTORIA

Dear Sir/Madam,
Under what rule/regulation/legislation is a step-on e-scooter (an unregistered, unlicensed ORR capable of travelling over 20km per hour) a motorcycle?

How does a police officer determine unregistered two-wheel step-on scooter is capable of more than 25 kph? Are motorcycles deemed so? Do step-on scooters get data to back?

Trying to classify e-scooters as motorcycles or scooters is inadequate. The lack of good scientific research into the real costs of e-scooter road trauma incidents is disturbing and would distort data and has no validity when it comes to logic and road trauma countermeasures.

Damien Codognotto OAM
Spokesperson
The Motorcycle Riders Association Australia