Today's Edition
BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
As electric scooters become a more familiar sight across UAE neighbourhoods, authorities and road safety experts are urging families to treat them as vehicles that require rules, supervision and protective gear, not as simple toys.
During a recent Gulf Traffic Week awareness campaign, Abu Dhabi Police warned against improper use of e-scooters, stressing that riding in non-designated areas and without proper protective equipment cause accidents and injuries to riders and other road users. It also urged parents to closely monitor children using e-scooters, make sure they wear helmets, knee pads and elbow guards, and teach them safe riding behaviour to reduce the risk of accidents.
The warnings have taken on renewed urgency as children and teenagers increasingly use e-scooters in residential areas, public walkways and near roads. Safety specialists say that the main concern is not the presence of e-scooters themselves, but how they are being used, often without helmets, outside designated areas, against traffic or by riders too young to understand road behaviour.
Thomas Edelmann, Founder and Managing Director of RoadSafetyUAE, said that e-scooter rules in the UAE are already clear and well communicated, including requirements on age, permitted riding areas and speed limits. The problem, he explained, lies in behaviour.
"The blatant disrespect of rules is the key problem, which starts with adult riders who typically break most of the rules. Children watch, and then [they] also break all the rules," Edelmann told Aletihad.
Addressing the issue, according to Edelmann, requires stronger enforcement and better education. He pointed to possible measures such as police task groups, electronic enforcement systems, licence plates, and a stronger police presence, alongside broader public awareness campaigns. He added that parents and schools also have a direct role in teaching children that e-scooters come with responsibility.
Dr Mustafa Aldah, an engineer and PhD holder in transport safety, pointed out that young riders often lack the maturity to assess traffic risks, even when they appear confident using an e-scooter. This lack of road awareness becomes dangerous when young riders behave unpredictably, enter areas not designed for scooters or ride without proper visibility, he explained.
"Younger children may have the ability to ride and balance a scooter, but they are not aware of the language of the road," Aldah told Aletihad.
Falls can also become serious, particularly when children are not wearing helmets, he added, stressing that parents remain responsible for making sure children use safe recreational devices and do not ride in conditions beyond their ability.
While road systems continue to adapt to new forms of mobility, including scooters and bicycles, Aldah said riders must still follow existing safety requirements.
In Abu Dhabi, and under the UAE's wider micromobility framework, e-scooters may be used only in designated scooter zones, cycle tracks and safe roads with speed limits of 30km/h or less. They are not allowed on highways or in pedestrian-only areas.
The speed limit is 20km/h in most designated areas, although some shared tracks allow speeds of up to 25km/h. Carrying passengers is prohibited, as is using mobile phones or headphones while riding.
Riders must wear helmets, follow traffic signs, dismount at pedestrian crossings, park only in designated spaces without blocking walkways, and avoid any behaviour that could endanger themselves or others. Parents are also responsible if children breach the minimum age requirement of 16.
Aldah also warned against modifying scooters to increase speed, mainly for younger users.
"Speed modifications are not really needed on lightweight devices with powerful electric motors and little inertia," he said.
Instead, Aldah explained that improvements should focus on visibility, braking and puncture resistance, which would make scooters safer rather than faster.
To improve safety, he suggested measures such as geofencing systems that prevent scooters from operating on high-speed roads, biometric user authentication, mandatory rider training and stricter registration systems for scooter ownership. Such steps, Aldah believes, could help prevent unsupervised use by children and make ownership more accountable.
"When an adult buys one, they should undertake responsibility for whatever happens if it is misused," he said.
