German police crackdown on illegal e‑scooter use in Arnsberg and Erlangen

In the eastern German town of Arnsberg, police stopped a 22‑year‑old rider on an electric micro‑bike that lacked a licence plate and was suspected of driving under the influence. The rider refused a voluntary breath test, had a white powdery substance in his wallet and declined a drug test. Police collected blood samples and opened several criminal proceedings.

In Erlangen, officers detained a 14‑year‑old who rode an e‑scooter without a valid insurance sticker and had altered the device’s speed limit. The scooter’s display showed 49 km/h, well above the legal 20 km/h, and the rider admitted to using an app to set a potential speed of up to 100 km/h. Police warned that such modifications make the scooter a motor vehicle requiring a driving licence and initiated a prosecution.