Hungary will introduce stricter regulations for electric scooters, including a separate vehicle category and a ban on riding under the influence of alcohol, Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced on Wednesday.
The proposed reforms, part of a Highway Code update, would classify e-scooters into two categories based on speed. Low-powered models, capped at 25 km/h, could be used from age 14, with helmets mandatory for riders under 18. High-powered scooters, exceeding 25 km/h, would require users to be at least 16, hold an AM-category driving licence, and wear helmets at all times. Their maximum speed would be limited to 40 km/h, while rental scooters would be restricted to 20 km/h.
The rules would also prohibit carrying passengers and riding on pavements for high-powered scooters. Low-powered scooters could use pavements only where no alternative, such as a cycle path, exists. Magyar cited a 73% rise in e-scooter accidents resulting in personal injuries between 2024 and 2025, from 367 to 635, as a key reason for the changes.
The prime minister said the government did not support an outright ban, describing e-scooters as a potentially efficient and sustainable transport option. Instead, the aim is to establish clearer rules and improve road safety. The proposals follow a summer public consultation and opinion poll, which Magyar said showed broad agreement on the need for urgent regulation.
The government plans to submit the draft rules for another round of public consultation before formal adoption. Magyar stated that over 360,000 people responded to a road safety questionnaire, and transport experts had also weighed in on the need for reform.
