A new law in Slovakia has set a speed limit of 6 kilometers per hour on sidewalks, a regulation that has left many citizens confused and amused in equal measure, reports Politico.

The measure applies not only to pedestrians but also to cyclists, skateboarders, and riders of scooters and e-scooters — essentially anyone legally allowed to use sidewalks. Lawmakers say the goal is to improve pedestrian safety amid a rising number of collisions involving electric scooters.

“The main aim is to increase safety on sidewalks, considering the growing number of accidents with scooter riders,” said Ľubomír Vážny, the bill’s author and a member of the ruling SMER party.

However, critics have pointed out that the law borders on the absurd. The average walking speed of a person is about 4–5 km/h, but a healthy adult walking briskly can easily reach 6.4 km/h — technically making them a violator under the new rules.

Opposition politicians were quick to mock the amendment to Slovakia’s Road Traffic Act.

“If we really want to reduce accidents, we need safer cycling infrastructure, not absurd limits that are physically impossible to follow. At that speed, a cyclist can barely keep balance,” said Martin Pekár from the opposition Progressive Slovakia party.

Even Slovakia’s Interior Ministry distanced itself from the ruling coalition’s decision, suggesting it would have been more sensible to ban e-scooters on sidewalks altogether instead of introducing unenforceable speed limits.

Ordinary Slovaks also expressed bewilderment online, jokingly asking whether they could be fined for running to catch a bus or for jogging on a sidewalk.

The new regulation will officially take effect on January 1, 2026.