When Should Police Take an Electric Scooter From a Child?

A 14-year-old’s electric scooter became the focus of a wider question in Oslo: how should police respond when children break traffic rules?

The girl had carried a friend on the scooter during a trip to a shop and was not wearing a helmet. Both actions were illegal. Police seized the scooter and sought to let the state keep it permanently.

The case came before Oslo District Court, where defense lawyer Kai Vaag represented the girl. He wrote that police are carrying out checks involving children and young people and using confiscation for violations involving helmets and passengers.

Norwegian law allows authorities to confiscate an item used in a criminal act, including when the person involved is under 15. Confiscation is legally distinct from punishment, because children under 15 cannot be criminally punished. Vaag argues that this distinction may mean little to a child watching police take away her property.

The scooter in this case was legal, unmodified and had a top speed of 20 kilometers per hour. The girl admitted what she had done and understood why the rules existed. Vaag argues that police should distinguish between a one-time misuse of a legal scooter and more serious cases involving modified vehicles, very high speeds or repeated dangerous conduct.