As it stands it is still against the law to use a privately owned e-scooter unless you are on private land. If you use an e-scooter illegally:

·        You could face a fine

·        You could get penalty points on your licence

·        The e-scooter could be impounded

 

The only e-scooters that are legally able to be used on public roads are within the trial areas within the UK, where they are able to be hired, these trial areas are listed on the Department for Transport website.  These particular e-scooters are equipped safety measures, such as lights and speed limiters (restricted to 15.5mph or less in some areas). In addition, users must hold a current driving licence, but if your licence is only a provisional licence you do not need to display L plates when using an e-scooter. E-scooters must have motor insurance, but this is provided by the e-scooter rental operator.

 

The latest Department for Transport figures underline the significant safety concerns that e-scooters present and it will be interesting to see whether they become a permanent fixture in our urban areas. The main points outlined within this statistical report are:

 

Based on provisional data, in 2021:

·        there were 1,280 collisions involving e-scooters, compared to 460 in 2020

·        of all collisions involving e-scooters, 309 included only one e-scooter with no other vehicles involved in the collision (single vehicle collision), compared to 83 in 2020

·        there were 1,359 casualties in collisions involving e-scooters, compared to 484 in 2020

·        of all casualties in collisions involving e-scooters, 1,034 were e-scooter users, compared to 384 in 2020

·        there were 9 killed in collisions involving e-scooters (all of whom were e-scooter riders) compared to 1 in 2020

·        our best estimate, after adjusting for changes in reporting by police, is that there were 390 seriously injured and 960 slightly injured casualties in 2021, this compares to 129 and 354 respectively in 2020

 

The Metropolitan Police reported around 40% of all casualties involving e-scooters in Great Britain, compared with 21% of all casualties involving any vehicle. The remaining e-scooter casualties were spread across the other 43 police forces, with the second highest percentage of e-scooter casualties being reported in Avon and Somerset.

 

Although helmets are recommended for e-scooter users, they are not a legal requirement. It is also recommended that an online training course is completed, but that isn’t always mandatory. That simply isn’t enough, particularly when the vast majority of people using an e-scooter have not experience of using them previously.

 

If e-scooters do in fact become a permanent fixture in our urban areas, then the safety of their users and pedestrians alike must take precedence as, although there are environmental benefits to e-scooters, there are also clear risks of injury and even death, so the government needs to take responsibility for ensuring that all road users are aware of these risks.

 

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