Changes to the law on insurance in Estonia will mean e-scooter owners will be required to have fully comprehensive insurance cover when riding.

The legislation will classify e-scooters, and also snowmobiles, tractor mowers, and other motorized means of transport, as requiring insurance.

This only applies if the vehicle is taken on the road, so for instance, tractor mowers do not need to be insured, provided the owner keeps it on their property.

Traveling a short distance down the road, for instance, to lend the tractor mower to a neighbor, would require insurance cover, however.

It also applies to private ownership, so users of e-scooter rental apps do not need to do anything further on this.

Insurance policies must also be carried in electronic form, as the Police and Border Guard Board are entitled to check the documentation.

Speaking to morning show "Terevisioon," Lauri Potsepp, board member of the Estonian Motor Insurance Fund (LKF), said: "Currently, all vehicles registered in the traffic register must be insured."

"Starting from December, however, the law will also require insurance for all motor vehicles that operate solely on engine power and exceed a speed of 25 kilometers per hour or exceed 14 kilometers per hour and weigh over 25 kilograms."

Even entry-level e-scooter models would meet these requirements.

"Every e-scooter owner should review their scooter and decide whether it needs to be insured," Potsepp noted.

"You can consult an insurance provider for assistance," he added.

Since e-scooter and snowmobile use is seasonal, insurance policies only need to be valid during those periods, he added, assuming the owner does not take their e-scooter out in the winter, for instance.

The amendments to the Motor Insurance Act take effect on December 1.

Non-motorized vehicles such as bicycles do not require insurance.

The legislative amendments also increase the maximum compensation for damages, with personal injury claims ceilings now reaching over €6 million.

Motor insurance costs continue to rise

Nonetheless, the majority of motor insurance claims in Estonia arise from car accidents, and in addition to the impending car tax, insuring a vehicle is getting costlier.

According to the data, in the first half of this year, insurance companies paid out €41 million in motor insurance claims, a 13-percent rise on year.

The number of claims rose by 3 percent over the same period, reaching 17,000 cases.

The average damage per traffic accident also rose, by 6 percent, to €2,328, the highest figure on record.

Rising compensation has a knock-on effect on motor insurance premiums, which are also going up.

The average premium rose from €143 last year to €154 this year.

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