Electric scooters are being banned primarily because of safety risks — sidewalk collisions, high injury rates, and riders ignoring traffic laws have pushed cities to restrict or outright prohibit them in public spaces.
Most bans target specific behaviors rather than electric scooters as a category: riding on sidewalks at adult speeds, operating without helmets, and leaving shared rental scooters blocking pedestrian paths. Cities including Paris, San Francisco, and parts of London have enacted restrictions after pedestrian injury data triggered public pressure. Privately owned electric scooters like those in ZapRun's lineup typically fall under separate local ordinances than rental fleets, so the rules vary significantly by city and even by neighborhood zone.
- Paris banned rental electric scooters entirely in September 2023 after a public referendum.
- In the U.S., electric scooter regulations vary by state — some cap legal speeds at 15–20 MPH on public roads.
- Many bans specifically target sidewalk riding, not road or bike-lane use of electric scooters.
- Minimum age requirements for electric scooter riders range from 14 to 16 years old depending on local law.
- Electric scooters over 28 MPH are classified as motor vehicles in several states, requiring registration and a license.