Lime scooters have proven popular in Tauranga since their launch in October 2020. Photo / NZME
Lime scooters have proven popular in Tauranga since their launch in October 2020. Photo / NZME
Electric scooter riders should start paying road user charges and ACC levies, and be required to wear helmets due to injuries that "everyone else pays for".
That's the view formed by Tauranga's Graham Holloway after seeing the fees he had to pay for a moped for his teen son.
Itcomes as new ACC figures show e-scooter injuries have cost taxpayers more than $7.8m since 2018.
The Ministry of Transport classes e-scooters as low-powered vehicles provided the motor has a maximum power output of 300W. They are exempt from registration and ACC levy fees, and helmets are recommended but not legally required. Lime scooters, available for rent in Tauranga since October, have a 300W motor.
Holloway, 67, did not agree with fee exemptions and wanted the government to make e-scooter users start paying their way.
The issue arose when he bought a moped motorbike for his 15-year-old son. It had a 50km/h maximum speed and an engine capacity of 49cc. The annual registration and ACC fee was $163.96, and he paid $200 for a good helmet.
"[E-scooters] don't pay for their road use or ACC levies, don't have to be registered or wear a helmet, and have a lot of accidents that ACC have recorded."
Electric scooters are an environmentally-friendly way to get around the city. Photo / George Novak
Under the Official Information Act, Holloway asked the Ministry of Transport why these requirements did not exist.
The Ministry of Transport replied that e-scooters did not need to be registered and were legally considered as wheeled recreational devices rather than motor vehicles because of their small motor size.
E-scooters did not attract ACC levies because they were not required to be registered.
Costs from e-scooter accidents were largely covered by ACC's Earners' levies, funded by income earners in New Zealand. These levies also covered accidents from sport and other recreational activities.
Ministry of Transport manager of strategic policy and innovation Richard Cross told the Bay of Plenty Times e-scooters had public and environmental benefits such as low costs, little need for parking and complementing public transport.
"When used as an alternative to a private car, [they] reduce congestion and harmful vehicle emissions."
He said riders did not have to pay road user charges because e-scooters did "minimal damage to the roading network".
"Charging road user charges to [e-scooter users] would be administratively difficult and may discourage uses which provide broader benefits to the transport system," said Cross.
The ministry had received one prior complaint about e-scooter riders not contributing to ACC levies.
Cross said e-scooter accidents were concerning and riders needed to understand how to use them safely and considerately, with helmets recommended.
"The Ministry of Transport wants everyone to feel and be safe when travelling down the street. This means e-scooter riders must give way to pedestrians, must not ride at a speed that is a hazard to themselves or others."
ACC says it is important to keep safety in mind when using e-scooters. Photo / George Novak
ACC reported a rise in e-scooter-related claims in the Bay of Plenty over the last two years, with 34 registered claims in 2019 and 89 in 2020.
Excluding GST, the cost to taxpayers in 2019 was $101,131, rising to $126,855 the following year for the region.
The total cost between October 2018 and January this year was $265,624, compared with $7,850,653 nationwide.
More men were injured than women, and the age group with the most injury claims was 20-29.
In October, a father-of-one was seriously injured after crashing his own e-scooter in Mount Maunganui, with his wife believing his helmet saved his life.
ACC head of injury prevention Isaac Carlson said rentable e-scooters were "new and shiny - everyone wants to have a go.
"But when something is unfamiliar, the likelihood of having an accident can increase.
"Ensure you're putting your safety first by starting slow, and by wearing a helmet," said Carlson.
Lime spokeswoman Lauren Mentjox said the company took rider safety seriously and provided free helmets to anyone who requested one. She said data showed scooters were a safe form of transport, comparable to or safer than bicycles. But there were still risks.
She said Lime had held several rider training sessions in Tauranga since launching in October.
"Lime invests significant resources in rider safety education and responsible scooter use, including first ride training sessions which are 30-minute interactive sessions designed for new riders."
In February, the NZ Herald reported a study had found almost a fifth of e-scooter riders who ended up in hospital were drunk.
The Auckland study, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal, found the hospitalisation rate for e-scooter riders was about four times higher than for cyclists.
Top 5 e-scooter injuries
New e-scooter related ACC claims between October 2018 and January 2021 by primary diagnosis.
1. Soft tissue injury 2. Laceration, puncture or sting 3. Fracture or dislocation 4. Dental injury 5. Concussion or brain injury.
Source: ACC
ACC recommendations for e-scooters safety
Share the space: Respect the people around you by allowing space when passing, and if on the road, follow the road rules.
Wear a helmet: It should fit nice and snug, and have two fingers of space from your eyebrows. If you do fall off and have a serious knock to the body or head, see a doctor.
Start off slow: If you've never ridden a scooter before, get a feel for it first and find your balance before you go racing off down the waterfront.
