Most of these accidents occur in Budapest, with scooter users often being the cause.Continue reading
The judicial practice is clear: electric scooters are considered mechanically powered vehicles and can therefore be used to commit drunk driving offenses, said the head of the Criminal Chamber of the Budapest-Capital Regional Court of Appeal on Tuesday.
According to a survey conducted in the summer of 2024, there are 100,000 electric scooters in Hungary. This figure includes private vehicles and scooter-sharing providers in major cities.
Ákos Ujvári pointed out that electric scooters are currently not yet included in the vehicles listed in the Highway Code, that there is no speed limit, that the rules for lighting are not clear and that the various safety devices are not defined.
Nevertheless, the case law is clear that the offense of drunk driving can also be committed with an electric scooter.
In his reasoning, the expert explained that the meaning of the term “motor-driven vehicle” in criminal law is uniform and unambiguous, i.e. a motor-driven vehicle is any vehicle that is propelled by a motor. Since an electric scooter is a vehicle used to transport people on the road and is powered by a battery-powered motor, it is a vehicle that can be used to commit an alcohol-related offense.
Photo: MTI/Balogh Zoltán
Ujvári added that
the principle of the basic provision of the Highway Code is “do not endanger,” applying to all road users
and which, according to case law, applies when there is no detailed regulation for a specific behavior that endangers traffic. As an example, he cited the fact that the driver of an electric scooter who seriously injures another person can be prosecuted for an offense against physical integrity.
As Hungary Today previously reported, since July, liability insurance has been compulsory for electric scooters weighing more than 25 kilograms or capable of speeds of more than 25 kilometers per hour. Even those under 25 kilograms but with speeds exceeding 14 kilometers per hour are subject to the same insurance mandate.
Via MTI; Featured image via MTI/Balogh Zoltán