Trendy electric scooters have been popping up on the streets of Europe for months, from Paris to Prague, allowing riders to zip along city streets with ease. But the police in Copenhagen have a clear message for potential users:

Don’t drink and scoot.



Over the weekend, 28 people were arrested in a crackdown on drunken scooter riders, Copenhagen’s police force announced on Twitter on Monday, as part of a larger push by Denmark’s traffic authority to keep intoxicated drivers off the road.

Of those arrested, 24 people were charged with drunken driving and another four were charged with operating scooters while under the influence of narcotics. They face fines of up to $600 for first- and second-time offenders, or potential jail time for more frequent violators.

The battery-powered electric scooters provided by private companies can be picked up and parked anywhere in Copenhagen by riders who rent them through mobile apps. Their popularity has grown quickly in the city since January, when the vehicles were introduced there.

At the time, Denmark’s traffic authority issued a set of rules for scooter use: A rider must be at least 15 years old, have a blood alcohol level below 0.05, and not ride on the sidewalk or in pedestrian zones.