This is a heart wrenching tragedy. At 10am the day before yesterday, an elderly person was driving an electric scooter to pick up their child from school in Rugao City, Nantong. The electric scooter suddenly caught fire, causing burns to the elderly; An 8-year-old boy was burned alive for failing to escape in time while wearing a seat belt.

This accident has drawn attention from the outside world to the elderly's commuting vehicles. In Nanjing, electric scooters are very popular among the elderly. Especially during school hours, there are often elderly scooters parked at the school gate.

A traffic police officer said that electric scooters that exceed the standard are considered a "freak". On the one hand, such vehicles are highly sought after by the elderly; On the other hand, electric scooters that are not within the scope of the registration catalog cannot be registered at all, and they face multiple penalties for illegal activities on the road.

There are many elderly people commuting at the school entrance

Reporters found that elderly commuting vehicles are not uncommon at school entrances in Nanjing city, as well as in Hushu Street and Hengxi Street in Jiangning District. From the appearance, there are various types of elderly scooters, including tricycles and quadricycles; There are enclosed carriages and some without carriages; There are armrests and steering wheels. Most of these elderly people's commuting vehicles are electric.

At the same time, there are also many sales outlets for elderly commuting vehicles. In Sanjiao Lane, Qinhuai District, there is an electric vehicle sales store that sells both two wheeled electric bicycles and three - and four-wheel electric scooters. This type of electric scooter is relatively cheap, you can buy one for seven or eight thousand yuan, and the more expensive ones are over 10000 yuan.

In the interview, most elderly people who drive such vehicles expressed a preference for using elderly transportation vehicles. There are five reasons to summarize: 1. The price is cheap, much cheaper than cars; 2. Easy to operate, one can learn to drive by exploring on their own; 3. Charging is sufficient, no need to refuel, environmentally friendly and affordable; 4. Easy to use, small body size, and easy parking. 5. Especially in winter, elderly mobility scooters with enclosed compartments can provide shelter from wind, rain, and cold, and children sitting in the car will not get cold.

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Most of them drive on the road without a license and drive without a license

Reporters found that the vast majority of elderly commuting vehicles, whether three wheeled or four wheeled, do not have license plates hanging. Moreover, most elderly people do not have a driver's license.

Yesterday afternoon, on Ruijin Road, a child who had finished school happily got into an elderly commuter car. Immediately, the elderly person started the vehicle and, at a red light, turned around and drove away directly. During the process of waiting for the child to finish school, this elderly commuter car kept parked in the slow lane.

During this period, the reporter interviewed the elderly person. The reporter asked why this car doesn't have a license plate. The old man said, 'This is just an electric bike with an iron shell (enclosed compartment) on the outside, no need to have a license plate!' At the same time, the old man said that he did not have a driver's license and felt that it was just like an electric bicycle, no driver's license was required.

Do elderly people need a license plate for their commuting car? Do drivers need a driver's license?

Many elderly people are not clear about these two issues. What worries reporters is that many elderly people have little knowledge about the safety hazards and illegal activities of such vehicles, and instead praise the convenience of using them.

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Once it is determined that the consequences of a motor vehicle are serious

The reason why elderly commuting car manufacturers are called "weirdos" is because many of their attributes are not very clear.

Is the elderly's commuting vehicle a motor vehicle or a non motor vehicle? According to the traffic police, after confiscating such vehicles, they are usually sent to specialized institutions for testing and identification of their vehicle attributes. Once identified as a motor vehicle, all traffic violations will be handled according to the penalty standards for motor vehicle violations. At the same time, motor vehicles driving on the road must have compulsory traffic insurance and an annual inspection certificate.

For elderly commuting vehicles, some brands of vehicles are within the scope of the national license plate catalog and can obtain license plates normally. However, many elderly people's commuting vehicles are not within the scope of the national registration catalog and cannot obtain a license plate at all. These unlicensed elderly commuting vehicles, once tested, mostly fall under the category of motor vehicles.

Simply put, elderly mobility scooters are not unusable, but rather require the purchase of products that meet national standards, registration according to regulations, obtaining driving qualifications, and complying with traffic laws and regulations. Elderly mobility scooters that do not meet national standards may have quality issues. In the event of a car accident, according to motor vehicle liability and compensation, without insurance, they will suffer significant losses.

Traffic police reminder

When elderly people purchase electric scooters, they should not blindly believe in the promotion of the merchants. They can take note of the model on the vehicle certificate and go to the window of Nanjing Vehicle Management Office to check whether the car meets relevant national standards.

Investigation and management are indispensable

The electric scooter that caught fire in Nantong will not be commented on due to incomplete information at present. However, there is still something to be said about the highly popular elderly commuting car.

Elderly commuting cars are not a new thing, they have been around for a few years. The relevant departments have reminded of safety hazards and the traffic management department has investigated and dealt with them, but many elderly people just love to use them.

Violation should be punished by the law. Therefore, the approach taken by law enforcement agencies is not wrong. However, the preferences and needs of the elderly also exist. It is difficult to eliminate elderly people's commuting vehicles solely based on law enforcement investigations.

Source management is crucial. How to define the accurate identity of such a 'freak'. For example, if it is identified as a motor vehicle, what type of vehicle is it and what type of driver's license should the driver obtain. Vaguely stating whether it is feasible or not often deprives ordinary people of more choices and may result in higher costs.

We must resolutely crack down on and investigate illegal activities. At the same time, should the relevant standards be more detailed and clear for the sustained development and growth of something?

Blocking is better than loosening, punishment is better than managing. Not only should lawbreakers know what is not allowed, but those who are not allowed should be strictly investigated and punished; It is even more important to let law-abiding people understand 'how to do it' and 'what is done' should be widely publicized.