Halle (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Halle-Vilvoorde prosecutor Carol Vercarre warns of deadly e-scooter crashes. Only 25 km/h models are legal; hacked ones face €3,000 fines, confiscation. Recent accidents in Lennik, Hoeilaart, and Buizingen show rising dangers.
As VRT News reported, the Halle–Vilvoorde public prosecutor’s office is warning about a rise in serious and deadly accidents involving e-scooters and plans to take stronger action against unsafe models. E-scooters are becoming more common on the streets, but the prosecutor says people are not aware enough of the dangers.
What e‑scooter rules are Halle prosecutors enforcing after crashes?
The prosecutor’s office is reminding people about the rules for using e-scooters in Belgium and says stricter checks are coming. They mentioned that a legal e-scooter cannot have a seat and may only go up to 25 km/h. Any scooter that has been changed, boosted, or hacked to go faster is not allowed on the road, even if it was bought in a shop.
The office says it wants to remove these illegal scooters from traffic and is asking police to inspect them more, take unsafe ones away, and fine riders who ignore the rules. Officials say e-scooters can be a good and green way to travel, but only if people ride them safely and obey the law, or the results can be deadly.
The Halle-Vilvoorde public prosecutor’s office says many people are confused about which e-scooters are legal to use on the road in Belgium. Prosecutor Carol Vercarre says the rule is simple: an e-scooter can only go up to 25 km/h if it is used on public roads. But many e-scooters sold in shops or online can go much faster. Those scooters are not allowed on the road, and police can take them away during a check.
Vercarre says this misleads buyers because people think that if a scooter is for sale, it must be legal to ride anywhere. She also says sellers often do not explain the rules or warn about the dangers, so many riders do not even know they are breaking the law when they use these scooters.
“It is possible that sellers are not yet sufficiently informing or incorrectly informing buyers and users of e-scooters about the rules.”
Carol Vercarre, public prosecutor at the Halle-Vilvoorde public prosecutor’s office
The prosecutor’s office is working with police to warn people about safe e-scooter use and to take unsafe scooters off the road. Riders who use banned scooters can get a fine of up to €3,000 and may lose their right to drive. Officials say e-scooters are useful and eco-friendly, but only if riders follow the rules and stay within the limits.
On July 11, 2025, a 50-year-old man in Lennik died after he fell trying to ride his e-scooter onto a sidewalk. In May 2025, a young man in Hoeilaart was badly hurt when he fell off a scooter that had been modified to go as fast as 70 km/h. In June 2025, another young man in Buizingen was seriously injured when he crashed while carrying a passenger, and speed was again the main cause.
