Amid rising traffic accidents caused by electric scooters, the government has warned that violations of traffic laws, such as driving without a license and running a red light, could lead to restrictions and refunds of health insurance benefits.

The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) said Friday that if an accident occurs due to a violation of traffic laws while operating an electric scooter, it may be subject to benefit restrictions under the National Health Insurance Act. The insurance benefits for injury treatment could be retrieved.

The state health insurance agency noted the increasing number of traffic accidents caused by unlicensed driving and signal violations by middle and high school students who lack understanding of relevant laws, such as the Road Traffic Act, emphasizing that the public must be alert to safe driving.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, traffic accidents involving personal mobility devices have steadily increased over the past five years, from 447 in 2019 to 2,389 in 2023. Of these, 69.6 percent were caused by teenage drivers under 20.

In response, the NHIS considers it an unfair gain and notifies the insurance benefit costs to be refunded when a person is treated for injuries caused by a traffic accident due to unlicensed driving, signal violation, or drunk driving, which fall under the 12 major violations of the law while riding a personal mobile device.

Last year, for instance, a minor was injured in an accident in which he was driving an electric scooter without a license and collided with a car by violating a signal, incurring about 40 million won ($28,570) in medical expenses. The NHIS determined that the cause of the accident was a “criminal act due to gross negligence,” retrieving the “unjustifiable benefit.”

“Personal mobility devices, including electric scooters, are classified as 'vehicles' under the Road Traffic Act. So, if a traffic accident occurs due to unlicensed driving or signal violations, health insurance benefits may be restricted when treating injuries caused by such accidents,” said Hyun Jae-ryong, chairman of the Health Insurance Appeals Committee. “Therefore, it is necessary to take special care not to violate road traffic regulations,”