John MacDonald: E-scooters need to be classified as vehicles

If the amount of money spent on ACC claims over the past five years for e-scooter injuries doesn’t convince you that tighter laws are needed, I don’t know what will.

And if the amount of money spent on ACC claims over the past five years for e-scooter injuries doesn’t convince you that NZTA made a big mistake deciding not to make e-scooters subject to the road rules - again, I don’t know what will.

The figure relates to injuries all over New Zealand. But it appears that us lot in Canterbury have copped it the worst. Or maybe we’re the most reckless.

The flatness of the place probably has something to do with it. Because, Christchurch especially, is brilliant for riding anything.

Which is maybe why new data out today shows that, in the past five years, there have been more e-scooter injury claims in Canterbury than anywhere else in the country.

Here, there have been 1,761 ACC claims lodged by Health NZ. Compared to 1,378 in Auckland, which has way more people - they’ve had claims.

The $55.6 million in claims between September 2020 and now has the AA saying - again - that there aren’t enough rules around e-scooters.

Saying it’s crazy, for example, that it isn’t illegal to ride an e-scooter drunk. And it wants alcohol restrictions for e-scooter riders.

No argument from me on that one. It is crazy.

The AA also thinks it’s crazy that there’s no age limit and no mandatory helmets.

No argument from me on both of those, either.

But it’s going to be very tricky to do anything about any of those things as long as e-scooters aren’t considered or treated as vehicles.

Which is the big mistake NZTA made, when it gave e-scooters this dispensation. Just so the private e-scooter operators could get their way and operate without any consideration for the road rules.

No licence required; no obligation to follow the same rules as other road users; no previous experience required; no helmet required. There’s not even a speed limit enforced. Plus, you can ride anywhere and everywhere.

The other thing about this $55.6 million in ACC claims, is that e-scooter owners and e-scooter companies don’t pay ACC levies.

People bang on all the time about people coming here from overseas and getting free ACC cover - the reason being that you can’t sue in this country and so we have to provide cover for people from overseas.

The exact same thing is happening with e-scooter users.

Private owners and people who use the hire scooters get free ACC cover. which, over the past five years, has cost us $55.6 million in claims.

The AA says time’s up and tougher rules are needed.

I’m saying that isn’t going to happen until we classify e-scooters vehicles.

That’s the nub of the problem and that’s what needs to change.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Morning's Podcast with John McDonald
from Newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
If the amount of money spent on ACC claims over
the past five years for escooter injuries doesn't convince you
that title laws are needed, then I don't know what will.
And if the amount of money spent on acc claims
over the past five years for Eskirter injuries doesn't convince
you that NZTA made a big mistake, massive mistake deciding

(00:38):
not to make Eskirter's subject to the road rules, it
will again. I don't know what will. The figure provided
to our news room, which I'll get to in a second,
relates to all injuries or injuries all over New Zealand,
but locally it appears that Uslot and Canterbury have copped
at the worst, or maybe we're the most reckless. The

(01:00):
flatness of the place probably has something to do with it.
But Christ especially brilliant for writing any thing, isn't it,
which is maybe why. New data out today shows that
in the past five years there have been more Eskirter
injury claims in Canterbury than anywhere else in the country.
So here there have been one thousand, seven hundred and

(01:22):
sixty one ACC claims launched by Health New Zealand, comparing
that to Auckland way more people they've had one thousand,
three hundred and seventy eight. Wellington even further behind. But
then you probably know why that is, don't you. So
all of those claims got a price tag attached to them,
and it's a decent sized price tag as well. Fifty

(01:44):
five point six million dollars. Fifty five point six million
that's between September twenty twenty in now, and it's enough
to have the AA saying again that there aren't enough
rules around eskirters. AA saying it's crazy, for example, that
it isn't illegal to ride an eskirter drunk and it

(02:06):
wants to see alcohol restrictions for escooter writers. I mean,
no argument from me on that one. That is nuts.
The ACC or the AA rather also thinks it's crazy
that there's no age limit and no mandatory helmets. MM
no argument from me to both of those either, But

(02:26):
there's always but it's going to be very tricky to
do anything about any of those things as long as
es scooters aren't considered or treated as vehicles, which is
the big mistake nzt A made when it gave escooters
this dispentation of dispensation. Why to do that? It did
it just so the private es scooter operators could get

(02:47):
their way and operate without any consideration for the road rules.
No license required, no obligation to follow the same rules
as other road users, no previous experience required, no helmet required.
What other vehicle would you get away with this.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
On?

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Not even a speed limit in force, and you can
ride anywhere on the road, on the footpaths anywhere. I mean, lord,
he talk about freedom because of this declaration. That's what
is called, this declaration made by nz TA. Without it,
the private eastcooter rental companies couldn't have operated, couldn't have
set up here. The other thing about this fifty five

(03:25):
point six million dollars in ACC claims is that escooter
owners and es scooter companies don't pay ACC levies. People
bang on all the time down there about people coming
here from overseas and getting free ACC cover. The reason
for that, by the ways, you can't sue in this country.
So we do have to provide cover for people from overseas.

(03:45):
But the exact same thing is happening with es scooter users,
you private owners, and people who use the highest scooters,
they get free ACC cover, which over the past five
years has cost US fifty five point six million in
ACC claims. And so the aac's as far as it's concerned,
time is up. Tough of rules and need it. I'm

(04:06):
saying that isn't going to happen until we reverse this
crazy situation where escooters capable of going crazy speeds where
you can write it whatever your experience or capabilities are,
with no helmets and no speed limits. Until this crazy
situation is reversed, and until escooters are classified as vehicles,

(04:30):
nothing's going to change. That's another problem and that's what
needs to change.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
For more from Caterbory Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
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