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A mate was telling me last night how surprised he was that he was breath-tested by the police yesterday afternoon.  

If he’d been riding an e-scooter, though, he would have been waived straight through.  

If he’d been riding an e-scooter he also wouldn’t have been drug-tested. He also wouldn’t have had to have the thing registered like any other vehicle.  

Which the AA is saying today is nuts and needs to change. Because even though the number of e-scooter injuries is going through the roof, e-scooter riders and e-scooter companies don't pay any ACC levies. And I agree with the AA.  

Because when a vehicle is registered, it enables all sorts of things. One of which, is to charge ACC levies.  

Which is way overdue for e-scooters, especially when you consider these new stats which show that ACC paid-out nearly $15 million for e-scooter injuries last year. Which was a 50% increase on the year before.  

The number of injuries were up across all age groups. Although, one-in-four people injured were in their 20s. About half of the claims were for soft-tissue injuries. More than 1-in-20 were for fractures and dislocations.  

People bang on all the time, don’t they, about people coming here from overseas and getting free ACC cover. The reason for that being that you can’t sue in this country and so we have to provide cover for people from overseas.  

But the exact same thing is happening with e-scooter riders. Because they don’t have to pay ACC levies, they’re getting free ACC cover.  

And if you don't like the fact that tourists get ACC for free, then you should be just as brassed-off about e-scooter companies and e-scooter riders getting the same.  

There have been numerous efforts over the years to have e-scooters recognised as vehicles. None have been successful.  

So the Automobile Association is trying again. Writing to the outgoing Transport Minister and the incoming Transport Minister, as well as the minister for ACC, telling them that the time has come for e-scooters to be registered.  

The particular point that the AA is making is that the number of privately-owned e-scooters has reached the point where these things are not novelties anymore.  

It’s not unusual for someone to own their own e-scooter and the laws need to catch up with that. They need to reflect that.  

And it’s not as if the people who do own their own e-scooters don’t recognise the dangers. Most of the time they’re dressed up like Darth Vadar, aren’t they?  

Full-face helmets and all of that. Plus, the protective clothing. And the speeds these things can get up to still blows me away.  

Then you get the muppets on the Lime scooters and all those other rental scooters, riding as if there's no tomorrow. The one thing I’ll say about the people who own their own e-scooters is at least they put some effort into keeping themselves safe with the helmets and all that.  

Another thing the AA wants to see is e-scooters being allowed in cycleways. It also wants e-scooter riders to be tested for alcohol and drugs. It wants them banned from using mobile phones, as well. 

The Government has said it’s “open to changes”. As it should be. In fact, it should more than open to them, it should be getting on with it.  

You’ll remember how, at the end of last year, motorcyclists were fired up about their ACC levies going up.  

Motorcycle Advocacy Group New Zealand was even going to the Human Rights Commission about it, because motorcyclists are facing an 80% in ACC levies over three years.  

And, at the time, I said if that’s what needs to happen —given that motorcyclists are at much greater risk and potentially more likely to need ACC cover— then why shouldn't they pay more cover?  

As far as I’m concerned, the same goes for e-scooter riders. And the e-scooter rental companies too.  

Because, like motorbikes and anything else on two wheels, they are inherently more dangerous than something on four wheels, and our transport laws need to recognise this.