Electric scooter or skateboard?
Electric scooter or skateboard?
My 15-year-old son insists that I buy him an electric scooter, but I think it's dangerous unless he can ride on pavements, but I don't know if that's allowed. So I'd rather buy him an electric skateboard like the ones you see on the internet, but some people say it's totally forbidden. What exactly are the rules in Switzerland?
Mr Geneva
It's not always easy for everyone to find their way around the panoply of federal ordinances that spell out the rules of the Road Traffic Act.
Electric scooters fall into the category known as light mopeds, just like slow electric bicycles, whose pedalling assistance allows them to reach a maximum speed of 25 km/h within the meaning of the Ordinance on Technical Requirements for Road Vehicles. In Switzerland, the maximum authorised speed for an electric scooter is 20 km/h. So be careful when buying one by mail order, as some models are not approved for use on our roads.
Electric scooters meeting the above criteria do not need to be registered. In accordance with the Road Traffic Regulations, drivers of electric scooters must use the road and, where possible, cycle paths, but never pavements. They must follow the same rules as cyclists. Wearing a helmet is strongly recommended, but not compulsory.
It should be noted that electric scooters can only be driven from the age of 14; a driving licence for mopeds (category M) - which includes a theory test on the rules of the road - is essential for teenagers under the age of 16. Above this age, driving is permitted without a licence in accordance with articles 5 and 6 of the ordinance governing admission to road traffic.
However, electric skateboards, hoverboards (or smartwheels) and electric unicycles are currently banned from public roads in Switzerland, even on pavements or in pedestrian areas. In reality, these machines can only be used in private areas.
