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The death of a 13-year-old boy riding an electric scooter in Makrisia, in southwestern Greece\u2019s Ilia region, has renewed debate over whether children below a certain age should be barred from using the vehicles.<\/p>\n
The boy was killed after he apparently swerved to avoid a parked vehicle and collided head-on with a farm truck. He later died from his injuries.<\/p>\n
The tragedy \u2013 along with other scooter-related incidents \u2013 has intensified scrutiny of safety rules under Greece\u2019s new traffic code. Specialists say regulations exist but are often ignored.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe images are indescribable. They ride at night with a flashlight in their mouth, while we have struggled for years to introduce traffic education in schools,\u201d said Aris Zografos, president of the Panhellenic Association of Driving Instructors and Traffic Education.<\/p>\n
Zografos said many parents cannot explain why they buy scooters for young children. \u201cA 13-year-old child cannot manage traffic without learning the basic rules of the road,\u201d he said, adding that scooters were originally intended for short urban trips linked to sustainable mobility plans, not as toys.<\/p>\n
Under the new traffic code, e-scooter riders must be at least 12 years old. Scooter speeds must not exceed 6 km\/h, while those traveling between 6 and 25 km\/h are treated similarly to bicycles. They are also barred from roads where speed limits exceed 50 km\/h.<\/p>\n
Police recorded 140 scooter incidents in 2025, including two fatal crashes.<\/p>\n
Professor George Giannis of the National Technical University of Athens opposed outright bans, asking, \u201cShould we ban circulation because one person broke the law?\u201d He said stricter insurance rules could improve order. Transportation engineer Panagiotis Tzouras said schools should teach traffic rules and introduce a \u201cmobility license\u201d before children are allowed to unlock shared scooters for use on public streets safely.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n