Ukraine proposes teaching teenagers how to ride electric scooters safely after series of accidents
In recent years, the number of accidents involving children and teenagers on electric scooters in Ukraine has increased significantly, with some of these cases ending in serious injuries or death. The danger arises not only on roads with heavy traffic, as electric scooters are increasingly used in yards, near schools, on sidewalks and pedestrian crossings, where teenagers often move without helmets, without understanding the road situation and without basic training. In this regard, it has been proposed in Ukraine to create a state program and a network of educational and training centers for the safe operation of two-wheeled vehicles and electric scooters.
What the petition authors propose
On May 26, a petition was registered on the Cabinet of Ministers website to create a state system of practical training for teenagers and young people who use electric scooters, scooters, motorcycles, and other two-wheeled vehicles.
The initiators of the appeal draw attention to the fact that children often gain access to such vehicles without any training. Teenagers drive onto roads and sidewalks without knowing how to brake properly, judge the distance, react to dangerous car maneuvers, or behave at intersections.
The petition proposes creating a state program of practical training, opening special training centers in the regions, introducing classes with instructors, and teaching basic safe driving skills. Special emphasis is placed on emergency braking, maneuvering, and the mandatory use of protective equipment.
The authors of the petition propose to move training from the streets and yards to a controlled environment where teenagers could practice skills without risking their lives. This includes practical classes with instructors, training on special platforms, and explanations of typical dangerous situations that arise while driving in the city.
The program wants to include traffic rules for two-wheeled vehicles, safe turning techniques, proper braking, avoiding obstacles, behavior at pedestrian crossings, and driving in areas with heavy traffic.
Separately, they propose to make the use of protective equipment mandatory during training, since most children ride without helmets, knee pads, and reflective elements.
Why the problem has become extremely relevant
Electric scooters have long ceased to be seasonal entertainment for parks or tourist areas. For many teenagers, they have become daily transport, used for trips around the city, to school, or to meet friends. At the same time, the speed of modern models allows you to accelerate to indicators at which any fall or collision can lead to serious injuries.
A separate problem has become the popularization of dangerous driving through short videos on TikTok, Reels and YouTube Shorts. Teenagers see tricks, sharp maneuvers, driving without hands or moving among cars and perceive this as normal behavior on the road. In real conditions, such a driving style often ends in accidents.
One of the most high-profile cases this year occurred in the Kyiv region, in the village of Gatne, where a car collided with an electric scooter, on which two children were riding. As a result of the accident, a 10-year-old boy died, and another child was hospitalized with serious injuries.
In the Lviv region, in Stryi, a 15-year-old teenager fell from an electric scooter while driving. Doctors diagnosed a closed head injury, a concussion and a complex leg fracture.
In Odessa, a case was previously recorded when a 16-year-old girl on an electric scooter hit a six-year-old child on a playground. The injured girl was hospitalized with injuries.
Another fatal accident occurred in Zaporizhia, where a car hit a 14-year-old teenager on an electric scooter while crossing the road.
These and many other tragedies increasingly raise questions not only about parental responsibility, but also about the lack of systematic training for children who use transport at a fairly high speed.
Why the current system is not enough
Driving schools already operate in Ukraine and there is an opportunity to obtain a category A1 license from the age of 16, but this system is mainly focused on classic transport. For users of electric scooters, scooters and pit bikes, there are often no separate practical programs, especially in small cities and communities.
Because of this, teenagers learn to drive independently, repeat the behavior of their friends or copy videos from social networks. As a result, they get their first real experience in traffic conditions, where a mistake can have serious consequences.
The petition still remains an initiative that the government must consider. If the proposal is supported, Ukraine may create a system of practical training for teenagers who use electric scooters and other two-wheeled vehicles.
Against the background of an increasing number of accidents involving children, the topic of safe use of electric scooters is gradually moving beyond discussions about convenient urban transport. For many cities and communities, this is already a road safety issue, where lack of training, neglect of protection, and unsafe behavior on the road are increasingly ending in injuries and fatalities.
