Minister: Police conducting raids near schools to catch e‑scooter offenders

Estonian police have conducted raids near schools in Tallinn suburbs to curb rising e-scooter accidents among 7–14-year-olds, the only demographic seeing increased injuries during the first five months of 2026.

Minister of Infrastructure Kuldar Leis said on an ERR broadcast that after new legislation comes into effect in March 2027, the police will also be primarily responsible for checking whether 10-15 years old riders have bicycle licenses.

"In fact, the police have done a very good job, with their focus shifting to the control of light vehicles. Just a few years ago, enforcement in this area was very, very limited. Now, however, raids are being carried out in the vicinity of Tallinn, for example near schools or other places where there are potentially many people speeding around on light vehicles. And the results show that there are quite a lot of violators."

Although parents may also face fines up to €160, the police will also actively summon the parents of young traffic violators for formal conversations.

Leis said that parents have a very important role, because although children receive guidance at school, home is still the main place of learning. "With the new rules, we want to reinforce the practice that when young people break traffic rules, the police also invite their parents in for a conversation. This has already produced very good results in the past."

The police will gain the right to confiscate light vehicles whose speed limiters have been removed. If a light vehicle is built to travel at 50–60 kilometers per hour, while the legal limit is 25 km/h, confiscation is deemed a sufficient punishment and a measure to prevent danger.

Leis stressed that e‑scooters must not be used at speeds comparable to cars. He noted that the optimal and safe speed for e-scooters is approximately 20 km/h, even though the legal cap is 25 km/h.

As for rental e-scooters, the main change compared with the current situation is that rental providers will have to clearly verify the identity of the person to whom they are actually renting the vehicle.

"The question is whether the person who takes the scooter is really the same person. That is the core concern, and rental companies agree with this change. They are very responsible, so we are pleased to cooperate with them," Leis said.

Rental operators will be allowed to choose their preferred method of digital identification (e.g., facial recognition, Smart-ID) to prevent account sharing and underage riding.

The government has submitted legislative amendments to the Riigikogu aimed at reducing accidents invo