PORTLAND, Ore. — A bill in the Oregon legislature calls for a change in state law, allowing most people to ride to e-scooters without a helmet. The proposed amendment requires only children under the age of 16 to wear protective headgear.
Currently, Oregon law requires any rider- regardless of age to wear a helmet while riding a motorized scooter. Violations can result in a fine of $25.
“The goal is to harmonize the laws covering scooter helmets with the laws covering bike helmets,” said state Rep. Sheri Schouten of Beaverton, who introduced House Bill 2671.
Oregon law requires any person under the age of 16 riding a bicycle to wear a helmet.
“We anticipate that understanding and compliance with helmet laws will be higher if there is one clear set of regulations statewide,” explained Schouten.
Rentable e-scooters are expected to return to Portland in the spring after a trial period last year.
Riders took more than 700,000 trips during the test period, according to a report by the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
The PBOT report found most riders were aware of the current state law requiring riders to wear a helmet, but most didn’t comply.
Forty-five percent of riders admit they never wear a helmet while riding an e-scooter, according to the study.
