Calls Grow Louder for Stricter E-Scooter Regulations Following Tragic Accidents Involving Minors

UAE road safety specialists urge the introduction of a federal oversight frame as e-scooter fatalities concerning kids boost alarm.

The tragic deaths of two young e-scooter riders in earlier this year have reignited debate around micro-mobility safety within the UAE, with professionals and advocates calling for stricter regulation, more suitable infrastructure, and a devoted federal authority to oversee road safety measures.

In February, two minors lost their lives in separate incidents regarding electric powered scooters. A 15-year-old Indian scholar and badminton prodigy became fatally injured in an coincidence near Al Nahda, close to Zulekha Hospital in Dubai on February 25. Just days later, a nine-year-old Arab boy died in Sharjah after a vehicle collision whilst crossing the road on his scooter.

Both cases worried minors who have been legally prohibited from operating e-scooters on public roads. In Dubai, only individuals age sixteen and above can ride e-scooters, and a permit from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)—acquired after finishing a safety training course—is obligatory. In Sharjah, the minimum age is 14.

Despite those policies, enforcement and compliance appear like missing, prompting extreme issues among road safety experts. Thomas Edelmann, founder and handling director of RoadSafetyUAE, expressed his dismay at the casual dismiss for existing guidelines. “Where are the parents? We see underage children and not using a helmet, no reflective vests, no lights, riding at their will on roads, in against to the flow of traffic,” “We infrequently see any child complying with the guidelines. Where are parents safeguarding their children?”

Edelmann emphasized the importance of instilling a subculture of safety beginning at home and within schools. He proposed the integration of mandatory road safety education into school curriculums, suggesting that recognition projects by myself are inadequate except constantly bolstered. “Authorities do behavior consciousness periods, however they cannot be everywhere. This topic merits ongoing interaction, no longer seasonal discussions,” he said.

In addition to behavioral change, Edelmann careworn the importance of improving infrastructure. Dedicated lanes for micro-mobility, higher pedestrian crossings, and multi-use walkways were mentioned as necessary steps closer to more secure roads. “We need to equip, teach and guard our children relentlessly,” he introduced.

Statistics further underscore the urgency of those worries. In 2024, Dubai recorded 254 injuries involving bicycles and e-scooters, resulting in 10 deaths and 259 accidents. These blanketed 17 excessive, 133 mild, and 109 minor accidents. Nationwide, the Ministry of Interior mentioned a total of 384 road deaths in 2024—a 9% boom from 352 in 2023 and a 12% rise as compared to 343 in 2022.

Recognizing the need for more coordinated oversight, Emirati street protection professional Dr. Mustafa Aldah has called for the established order of a federal road safety entity. “It is high time for transport protection to fall underneath one clear entity—with a totally wide remit—that may coordinate the efforts of all of the other entities involved,” said Dr. Aldah, founding father of MA-Traffic Consulting.

He believes this type of body should serve as a impartial, centralized oversight authority, accountable for putting requirements, enforcing guidelines, and launching unified safety campaigns. According to Dr. Aldah, present day gaps in enforcement and accountability—mainly in relation to minors—replicate systemic weaknesses that have to be addressed holistically.

Reflecting on non-public reviews, Dr. Aldah recalled the death of an 18-year-vintage classmate in a automobile crash all through his college years, underscoring how deeply such incidents can affect groups. “Traffic tragedies aren’t new… however while some thing like this happens, it begs the question: Have we carried out sufficient?”

While UAE authorities have made sizeable strides in street safety, experts agree that rising micro-mobility usage affords new challenges that should be tackled proactively. Without a cultural and institutional shift, the developing popularity of e-scooters may hold to place young lives at danger.

As the united states keeps to modernize its transportation systems, the voices of professionals, educators, and grieving families are urging decisive motion—earlier than greater lives are misplaced on the street.