DE legislation to regulate e-scooters awaits Gov. Meyer’s signature

Salisbury, Md. – Recent bipartisan legislation in Delaware is focusing on regulating motorized scooters also known as e-scooters.

House Bill 266, co-sponsored by State Sen. Eric Buckson (R – District 16) and set to be signed by Governor Matt Meyer, allows large municipalities to permit rentals of low-speed e-scooters.

Buckson said scooters that go faster than 15 mph are prohibited from operating on roads, shoulder and bike lanes, especially after a death involving an e-scooter earlier this month in Smyrna. However, he said speeds slower than that can still be dangerous.

“We get focused back on the speed. It’s really what it comes down to,” he said. “And the unregulated ability for these vehicles to kind of traverse not just down the central road, paying attention to traffic laws and traffic rules, but on sidewalks and other areas where you would not have typically seen a vehicle traveling these scooters, these bikes enable you to do that.”

He said he does not want to inhibit people’s access to motorized transportation, but that safety for others on the road and sidewalk should be considered with any motorized vehicle.

He said he hopes to work on legislation that would regulate motorized vehicles going less than 15 mph in the next legislative session.