Scooters and other personal mobility vehicles (VMP) that are sold starting this Monday will need a certificate to be able to circulate. Given the growing use of this means of transport, the measure aims to guarantee road safety and protect both drivers and other users. Scooters that are already in circulation may continue to do so without this badge until January 2027. From then on, circulating without the certificate might lead to fines of up to 500 euros issued by the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT).
The DGT has made public a list of the brands and models that have already been approved by meeting the required technical characteristics. Specifically, a VMP is defined as a “vehicle with one or more wheels” equipped with “a single seat” and powered exclusively by electric motors. The maximum speed remains at 25 kilometers per hour, although from now on it will be mandatory to have a visible indicator showing the driving speed and battery level.
Regarding restrictions on the type of road, they are not allowed to circulate on sidewalks in the urban area; nor on crossroads, interurban roads, highways and highways. Regarding visual and acoustic characteristics, VMPs will be required to be equipped with retro-reflectors – a type of reflective element – on the front (white), on both sides (white or yellow) and at the rear (red); as well as a mandatory acoustic warning. If the vehicle is a goods vehicle, it will have to have another sound to warn when reversing.
To avoid the usual image of a large number of scooters lying in the middle of the sidewalks, the DGT has also established this Monday the obligation to have a stabilization system that consists of a lateral kickstand or a central stand to guarantee that the vehicles parked remain standing.
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The certificate for each scooter must be visible on the rear of the vehicle to provide details on the maximum speed, serial number, certificate number, year of construction and information regarding the make and model.
Each municipality can regulate the circulation of electric scooters in a specific way, but the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) seeks to standardize safety conditions to reduce the growing number of accidents involving these vehicles. In 2022, there were 4,647 accidents, which caused eight deaths and 312 hospitalized injuries, according to the DGT. In 2021, another eight drivers died, and in 2020 there were seven. One of the main causes of accidents is the modification that some users practice to increase the maximum speed of their vehicles, as occurred last September in the accident of a 41-year-old citizen who lost his life in Granada while traveling at 120 kilometers on the hour on a souped-up scooter.
