E-scooters: compulsory insurance is on the way – here are the costs. Fines of up to 400 euros for those who fail to comply
The consumer organisation Assoutenti: for a compulsory insurance policy for an electric scooter to be legally valid, it must include the vehicle’s identification number, which effectively rules out generic family policies
Key points
On 16 July, following the two-month extension decided by the government at the request of ANIA, the requirement for insurance cover for electric scooters comes into force – a new measure that will affect one million private owners who use this mode of transport in Italia. Assoutenti has drawn attention to this, highlighting the costs for the public and some of the issues with the measure.
The requirement set out in the new Highway Code
The new Highway Code, introduced at the end of 2024, stipulates that “Electric-powered scooters may not be used on public roads unless they are covered by third-party liability insurance as provided for in Article 2054 of the Civil Code”. This cover relates to damage caused to third parties whilst riding the scooter, such as injuries to pedestrians or cyclists or damage to other vehicles; however, a standard household third-party liability policy will not suffice. In fact, for the compulsory scooter insurance policy to be legally valid, it must include the vehicle’s identification number, which effectively excludes generic family policies, warns Assoutenti.
Furthermore, at least for the first two years, there will be no direct compensation scheme. As this is an entirely new situation, the Mimit circular of 24 April sets aside a two-year period to monitor trends in the actual costs of compensation for accidents caused by e-scooters, with a view to establishing a specific flat-rate scheme at national level. To this end, IVASS must report to the Ministry every six months on the trend in claims occurring since the insurance obligation came into force. In the meantime, for road accidents caused by e-scooters, the standard compensation procedure set out in Article 148 of the Insurance Code will apply, and the injured party must claim compensation from the insurer of the party liable for civil liability, rather than from their own insurer.
The average cost of a basic policy is between 35 and 55 euros
The scheme relating to insurance for e-scooters will entail an annual cost of around 50 million euros for vehicle owners, given that the average cost of a basic policy is between 35 and 55 euros, but can rise to 150 euros a year if additional cover is included.
For those who fail to comply, fines ranging from 100 to 400 euros – at least on paper: “The real problem is that the e-scooter sector is still a lawless free-for-all,” says president Gabriele Melluso – New legal obligations are being imposed, but in our cities we are still unable to enforce even the most basic rules of the Highway Code, such as the requirement to wear a helmet or the ban on riding two-up on e-scooters. This is because enforcement by the police is completely inadequate. We also call on the government to exercise the utmost vigilance, in order to prevent the new requirement from giving rise to speculation and, above all, to regional discrimination, not least because these vehicles represent a new development, and nothing would justify different risks for different regions or provinces,” concludes Melluso.
