EUC riding in Belgium

[Paulc]

Hi guys, 

Looking to holiday in Belgium soon and want to take our Euc to do a bit of sightseeing off the beaten track.  

Question is,  are we legal to use our Euc in Belgium? 

Any advice  really appreciated. 

[SamSuffit]

https://mobilit.belgium.be/fr/nouvelles/nieuwsberichten/2019/code_de_la_route_des_modifications_en_faveur_des_cyclistes_des_engins

Google translate

Summary: authorized if by construction cannot go quicker than 25kmh and insured, act as a bicycle.

In reality: i guess if you don't go to quick, it is ok.

[ir_fuel]

2 hours ago, Paulc said:

Hi guys, 

Looking to holiday in Belgium soon and want to take our Euc to do a bit of sightseeing off the beaten track.  

Question is,  are we legal to use our Euc in Belgium? 

Any advice  really appreciated. 

I live in Belgium.

In reality: do whatever you want to do   Just ride it slowly on sidewalks. Prefer riding it where cyclists ride. Nobody will care.

[Paulc]

12 hours ago, ir_fuel said:

I live in Belgium.

In reality: do whatever you want to do   Just ride it slowly on sidewalks. Prefer riding it where cyclists ride. Nobody will care.

Great info. 

Are there any wilderness areas that you can ride in. Mountain bike routes, walking country routes etc.

Not looking to ride on roads or in cities etc.

[ir_fuel]

What part of belgium will you be visiting?

[Paulc]

Hoge kempen  national park area. Never been there but looks kinda big?

Open to suggestions as well.👍

[ir_fuel]

Never been there myself.

You can also look for (check on Google Maps):

- Forêt de Soignes  (you can combine this with a visit to Brussels)

- Hallerbos

- Meerdaalbos

These are all around Brussels

 

- Hautes Fagnes

In the Ardennes.

 

if you want some more paved roads (especially in the French speaking part), check out the "ravels". These used to be train tracks that are converted to cycling roads. No cars allowed.

 

 

 

[Pezmc]

I moved to Belgium in winter, and it's finally time to get my EUC (and OneWheel) out of storage and start using it to commute.

From what I read online, in Belgium it's required to have insurance, but my (english) searches have been coming up with no results trying to find where from.

Can anyone help me find insurance I can buy?

Is there anything else I need to consider?

[alcatraz]

I'm pretty sure that 99% of riders ride it despite it not being legal. If you live in a place where police go after anything, as harmless as it may be, it's still tough to ride.

Ride respectfully and hope that they'll leave you alone.

[Kristof Willen]

You should have a minimum insurance for riding a (motorised) vehicle (burgerlijke aansprakelijkheid/responsabilité civil).  Most insurance companies can offer you one, but nowadays most family insurances cover electric unicycles as well.  Inform you (well) with your insurance broker. Take care that maximum legal speed is limited to 25 km/h; especially in cities you have to be careful.

 

[dwagelaar]

I've had my Inmotion V11 impounded in January 2024 while riding in the city, and have come to learn a few things about the legal situation around EUCs in Belgium. Basically, since the update of the law governing EUCs in Belgium, EUCs are defined as being "limited by construction to 25 kph". In practice, that means you should not be able to raise this limit as an end-user (e.g. by using an app). This is similar to the regulations for e-scooters and pedelecs.

So what happens when your EUC does not meet this definition? It is then classified as a motor vehicle, which is subject to (A) a dedicated insurance policy, (B) registration with the DIV (license plate). Both A and B are not possible for EUCs in Belgium, so that's trouble right there.

And if you also exceed 25 kph in practice? That's (C) failure to regulate speed according to law.

Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to do all of these, thinking that my general family insurance policy would cover EUCs up to a speed of 45 kph (the wording of the policy). Alas, limiting the speed to 45 kph in the app has no legal meaning: it is the maximum speed listed by the manufacturer that counts (50 kph). My insurance company has confirmed this in writing.

I've attached a "scoring card" of what you may be in for if the police chooses to act. I've divided the EUCs into three classes:

1. max speed 0-25 kph
2. max speed 25-45 kph
3. max speed 45+ kph

Setting the limiter in the app will likely reduce police attention, but has very little legal consequence: it only removes charge (C) failure to regulate speed.

Class 1:

AFAIK, there are only two EUCs currently on the market that are "class 1", and are legally trouble-free:

• Inmotion V5, V5F
• Kingsong 14M

I've had some bad experiences with the V5F motor being too weak to pull me out of dimples in the road, so I'm not too happy with this listing... They are not safe enough to ride on the Belgian road for grown-ups in my experience (and yes, the updated law requires that you are at least 16 years of age to ride an EUC).

Class 2:

The list of "class 2" EUCs currently on the market, which can be insured but not registered, is a bit longer:

• Inmotion V8, V8F, V8S, V10, V10F
• Kingsong 14D, 14S, 16S
• Begode MTen4, A2/A2+

"Class 2" will get you your (car) driving license temporarily revoked¹⁾ in addition to a fine (see attachment). This is also the class of EUC that is road-safe for grown-ups. In my experience, the Inmotion V8 is a lot safer to ride on non-perfect road surfaces than the V5F.

Class 3:

Finally "class 3" EUCs currently on the market are all the others, including my Inmotion V11. This class could get you in prison on top of "class 2" punishments.

 

Most of the time, the actual punishments are much lower than what the law prescribes, depending on your behaviour in practice (i.e. you did not do, e.g. aggressive riding, running from the police, causing damage, etc.). In my case, I have to pay court and impoundment fees (several hundred EUR), and I will not get my EUC back. I will also be on probation for one year, in which I may not receive a second conviction. Time to break out the V5F and put the V8 in storage...?

 

¹⁾ It is common in Belgium to temporarily revoke a regular (car) driving license due to committing a traffic violation on foot or by bicycle. This really hits home for me, as I cannot bring my kids to sports, or go on family trips.

LegalProblemsEUCinBE.pdf

Edited April 29 by dwagelaar
Added Begode wheels

[Robse]

Thank you for the information although it is very sad reading

[Planemo]

So have they 'stolen' your EUC?

[DavidB]

The regulations seem to mirror the Western Australian ones. I thought it was 25ks and 25kg there then about 6mths ago a news piece had the police bragging to the media about having conficated 80 PEVs ( most being crushed they said). I suspect mostly scooters as the local EUC riders seemed unconcerned. The catch is the law there states "must not be capable of more than 25kmh". With Kingsong publishing speeds 18% faster than the 18xl actually goes doesn't help.

[Pavic]

Damn, and I wanted to get into EUC riding (Belgium). I would have to go to France to be legal then or buy the segway one. This sucks. 

[Steven Algoet]

On 4/29/2024 at 11:55 AM, dwagelaar said:

I've had my Inmotion V11 impounded in January 2024 while riding in the city, and have come to learn a few things about the legal situation around EUCs in Belgium. Basically, since the update of the law governing EUCs in Belgium, EUCs are defined as being "limited by construction to 25 kph". In practice, that means you should not be able to raise this limit as an end-user (e.g. by using an app). This is similar to the regulations for e-scooters and pedelecs.

So what happens when your EUC does not meet this definition? It is then classified as a motor vehicle, which is subject to (A) a dedicated insurance policy, (B) registration with the DIV (license plate). Both A and B are not possible for EUCs in Belgium, so that's trouble right there.

And if you also exceed 25 kph in practice? That's (C) failure to regulate speed according to law.

Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to do all of these, thinking that my general family insurance policy would cover EUCs up to a speed of 45 kph (the wording of the policy). Alas, limiting the speed to 45 kph in the app has no legal meaning: it is the maximum speed listed by the manufacturer that counts (50 kph). My insurance company has confirmed this in writing.

I've attached a "scoring card" of what you may be in for if the police chooses to act. I've divided the EUCs into three classes:

1. max speed 0-25 kph
2. max speed 25-45 kph
3. max speed 45+ kph

Setting the limiter in the app will likely reduce police attention, but has very little legal consequence: it only removes charge (C) failure to regulate speed.

Class 1:

AFAIK, there are only two EUCs currently on the market that are "class 1", and are legally trouble-free:

• Inmotion V5, V5F
• Kingsong 14M

I've had some bad experiences with the V5F motor being too weak to pull me out of dimples in the road, so I'm not too happy with this listing... They are not safe enough to ride on the Belgian road for grown-ups in my experience (and yes, the updated law requires that you are at least 16 years of age to ride an EUC).

Class 2:

The list of "class 2" EUCs currently on the market, which can be insured but not registered, is a bit longer:

• Inmotion V8, V8F, V8S, V10, V10F
• Kingsong 14D, 14S, 16S
• Begode MTen4, A2/A2+

"Class 2" will get you your (car) driving license temporarily revoked¹⁾ in addition to a fine (see attachment). This is also the class of EUC that is road-safe for grown-ups. In my experience, the Inmotion V8 is a lot safer to ride on non-perfect road surfaces than the V5F.

Class 3:

Finally "class 3" EUCs currently on the market are all the others, including my Inmotion V11. This class could get you in prison on top of "class 2" punishments.

 

Most of the time, the actual punishments are much lower than what the law prescribes, depending on your behaviour in practice (i.e. you did not do, e.g. aggressive riding, running from the police, causing damage, etc.). In my case, I have to pay court and impoundment fees (several hundred EUR), and I will not get my EUC back. I will also be on probation for one year, in which I may not receive a second conviction. Time to break out the V5F and put the V8 in storage...?

 

¹⁾ It is common in Belgium to temporarily revoke a regular (car) driving license due to committing a traffic violation on foot or by bicycle. This really hits home for me, as I cannot bring my kids to sports, or go on family trips.

LegalProblemsEUCinBE.pdf 26.87 kB · 5 downloads

But what we want to know:
Did you get your wheel back? Did you get a fine? Did they took your driver licence?

Most of us know the rules but take the risk... We just want to know what that risk is :-)

[dwagelaar]

@Steven Algoet Like I said, in my case, I have to pay court and impoundment fees (several hundred EUR - I have not yet received the bill), and I will not get my EUC back. There's also the lawyer costs of several hundred EUR. I will also be on probation for one year, in which I may not receive a second conviction (or the whole case comes back on the table). I followed my lawyer's recommendations in this: avoid a conviction and just give up the wheel.

There is another, possibly cheaper, way to do this, which is to just accept that the police keep your wheel ("afstand doen"), in which case you have to pay a fine and impoundment cost, but no additional legal fees as this does not go to court. Police will not normally take your driving license, unless you pose a direct danger to others (i.e. not only for speeding).

All that being said: if you ever get involved in an accident, you are always at fault (no insurance, registration) and never insured (outside regular insurance coverage). That to me is unacceptable, as it puts me and my family at huge legal and financial risk.

 

It's all working a bit against us: manufacturers boasting high top speeds on their websites, technical data sheets confirming those top speeds, and then saying there's a limiter in the app, so you can be legal. Not true under current legislation. I would be very interested in a long(er) range commuter wheel that is hard-limited to 25 kph from factory, so we can be on the road legally. The V11 definitely had enough range for me, for example, and suspension is a requirement for me on longer distances.

Of course, EUCs have advanced a lot since that first 25 kph, last-mile solution classification they got in Belgian law, but that would require manufacturers to go through a legal lobbying process similar to speed pedelecs and 45 kph e-scooters. No point in doing that if you cannot even get the 25 kph limitation right...

[Scubadragonsan]

23 minutes ago, dwagelaar said:

dwagelaar Disappointing... thought about coming to Belgium to have fun riding EUCs, but not anymore, plan to travel there is officially scuttled!

 

Edited May 13 by Scubadragonsan

[Planemo]

11 hours ago, dwagelaar said:

 and I will not get my EUC back.

Thanks for the clarification.

Your account is shocking. To have to give up ownership of the wheel is a little unfair, it's your property. Even in the UK we seem to be able to get our wheels back. To lose what could be a £4k wheel would be highly annoying.

We are however in the same situation over here regarding accountability in not having insurance - if we injure someone the financial repercussions from that on a personal level are not to be taken lightly and it amazes me that so many riders seem to put their heads in the sand over it. Put someone in a wheelchair and the claim could easily run into 100's of thousands, leaving the rider financially destitute for years. It's this single aspect which threatens my continued riding. I could live with a fine and even a few points on my licence. Being sued for huge amounts of money is a different matter and is constantly on my mind when making riding decisions, especially around people.

[The Brahan Seer]

3 hours ago, Planemo said:

It's this single aspect which threatens my continued riding.

Personal liability insurance can be included in your Home and contents insurance which includes damage to third parties from your possessions, may be worth checking if this is covered with your existing policy or if others offer this. This is something I will look into too. But I'm guessing even with this because we are doing an illegal activity it won't cover regardless. Shame.

Edited May 14 by The Brahan Seer

[Planemo]

4 minutes ago, The Brahan Seer said:

But I'm guessing even with this because we are doing an illegal activity it won't cover regardless. Shame.

Correct.

I had a riding buddy who took this out and was adamant that it covered him for liability whilst riding. He even showed me the policy where it mentioned 'electric unicycle' in the paperwork. I suggested he call them and question it carefully. I was right, he wasn't covered for any injuries caused to anyone when riding it unless on private land, and even then it wouldn't cover him if it was accessible to the public (Olympic Park for example).

[Anthraksi]

11 hours ago, Planemo said:

We are however in the same situation over here regarding accountability in not having insurance - if we injure someone the financial repercussions from that on a personal level are not to be taken lightly and it amazes me that so many riders seem to put their heads in the sand over it. Put someone in a wheelchair and the claim could easily run into 100's of thousands, leaving the rider financially destitute for years. It's this single aspect which threatens my continued riding. I could live with a fine and even a few points on my licence. Being sued for huge amounts of money is a different matter and is constantly on my mind when making riding decisions, especially around people.

This usually creates situations where the rider just uh, rides away after hitting someone or something. That is if they are in a condition which allows them to do so. Morally bankrupt, but usually people tend to be selfish enough to cover their own ass instead of owning up to the mistake and suffering the consequences. This is also very easily done because you probably don't have a license plate on your EUC which can be used to find out who it belongs to, plus you are most likely geared up enough that no one can identify you that way either. Try doing this with a car and there is a decent enough chance someone took your plates and you get caught either way.

I'm not saying anyone should do this. But I get the appeal.