It doesn’t surprise me when young people switch to scooters or mopeds en masse—it aligns with their mindset: fast, cheap, and stylish, albeit dangerous. But when the older generation starts using electric scooters, it marks an undeniable trend. Our new reality is commuting via micro-electric vehicles, and if the weather permits, this lasts up to nine months a year.
I remember summer vacations during my childhood in a small satellite town near Kyiv where my grandmother lived. Neighbors there lived like one big family. Everyone knew everything about everyone, and parents easily left young children in the care of the older neighborhood kids. On summer evenings, when the heat subsided, both adults and children headed outside to have fun. What a joy it was when the older boys arrived on mopeds or motorcycles and took turns giving rides to the younger children on the street. Back then, it seemed you could ride a moped from the age of 14 without any documents. Motorcycles required you to be 18 and hold a driver’s license. Adults in those days didn't take these means of transport seriously—they were viewed as "children's toys." The same cannot be said today.
Recently, the neighbors on our street bought an electric scooter for the head of the family, who commutes about 20 kilometers to work every day. And what do you think we saw the next day? His teenage son was giving rides to local 6- and 7-year-old boys along our village lanes. It felt like déjà vu.
Regardless, Ukrainians are switching to micro-electric vehicles in droves, at least during the warm season, to save on fuel. Their arguments are bolstered by a major plus: both scooters and monowheels make their owners incredibly mobile. I know people who use one of these devices to reach the metro or the city train. Then, they simply fold up their electric device and carry it with them. A scooter or a wheel can be taken into a shop, office, or cafe—anywhere, really—without worrying about its security. You can't do that with any four-wheeled vehicle, whether gas or electric.
True, a scooter or a monowheel cannot replace a family car when everyone needs to travel together. However, I know a family that added two electric scooters to their single family car so the parents can commute to the city on them daily. The car is now used very rarely.
From the perspective of a motorist with over 20 years of experience, I must say that the number of road users on these modern "electric toddlers" frankly alarms me. When I see them ahead, I always try to change lanes if possible or increase my following distance. Wet roads, potholes, inattention, or driver inexperience turn these vehicles into very dangerous objects—both for the riders themselves and for everyone around them.
According to official statistics, in Germany, for example, the number of accidents involving electric scooters increased by 27% in a year. Unfortunately, no such official statistics exist in Ukraine. However, both electric vehicle retailers and car drivers notice a significant increase in the presence of scooters and mopeds on the roads.
Legally, Ukraine has limited the speed of scooters on roadways to 25 km/h. In some cities—Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa—there are rules limiting speed to 20 km/h. In practice, however, this is rarely seen. Firstly, these rules are largely advisory, and secondly, there is essentially no established liability for speeding. The same applies to the responsibility for two people riding a single scooter simultaneously.
Furthermore, it is officially legal to operate a scooter from the age of 14 without a driver's license. However, parents bear the responsibility for any accidents caused by a teenager under 16. In reality, we see people riding scooters anywhere and everywhere, including on sidewalks, where it is officially prohibited.
Despite this, the number of accidents and injuries involving "electric toddlers" does not seem to deter their growth on the roads. Moreover, watching how actively "micro-electrics" take over our streets every spring, I often think: if it weren't for the climate, many people probably wouldn't buy a car at all. The motivation is clear, but the level of responsibility cannot be fully regulated by formal legislation, as it ultimately lies within the realm of personal responsibility for one’s own choices.
