Driving Electric Scooters May Cost More Than We Think

Although the proportion of accidents caused by electric scooters is not exceptional, the damages can be quite serious, published vg.hu.

In the past year, the average amount of damage paid in closed claims for micromobility vehicles was HUF 710 thousand (cc. EUR 1.779), but there have also been claims of HUF 1.6 million (EUR 4.007), reported by the insurance company, Allianz Hungária.

The distribution of damage types also varies: 92% occur to vehicles, 5% to objects, and the proportion of personal injuries is low (3%).

Among personal injuries, there were both minor and serious cases, while property damage mainly occurred in Budapest.

The largest number of insurance covers were taken out in the countryside, and the private individuals who signed the contracts were predominantly (79%) over the age of 35, and every fifth rider was already 55.

According to the insurance company’s experience, people often do not even know the basic rules of the road. Drunk driving and running red lights are just as common as inattention while listening to music or driving on the sidewalk. In collisions that often occur next to parked cars or at intersections, it is not uncommon for the people to quickly leave the scene without providing any information.

The fact that scooters do not have license plates or a central registry also makes it difficult to verify the existence of insurance. Involving the police usually prolongs the claim settlement process, and it could be avoided if scooter riders always had an accident report, or better known as a blue-and-yellow claim report, hidden in their pockets or in the glove boxes of their vehicles.

They can also use the e-claim report application by the Association of Hungarian Insurance Companies. On the other hand, the rules of the road will soon be updated in the country to hopefully regulate the framework of micromobility vehicles, including electric scooters, more clearly.

Via VG; Featured image: Pixabay