Electric scooters have caused a lot of tension since their introduction into popular UK cities in 2020. The widespread use in cities across Europe has dated back to 2017, yet the laws and regulations surrounding e-scooter safety in the UK are still limited.
Are electric scooters legal?
Under UK law, e-scooters are considered motor vehicles, and while it is perfectly legal to sell them, it is illegal to ride private e-scooters on roads and in public places. Despite legalities, there are reported to be as many as 750,000 currently roaming the country. If caught, pedestrians using private e-scooters will be subject to a fine and penalty points on their driver’s licence if they have one.
In July 2020, the Government decided to introduce trials for e-scooter rental schemes across the country. The schemes, now including over 23,000 e-scooters in 31 areas of the UK, are being monitored by the DFT, to legalise permits for wider e-scooter usage.
With trials being used as the evidence base, they have now been extended to November 2022 and further action on legislation is yet to be taken.
The dangers
With an increase in the usage of micro-mobility machines, the Governments delay in confirming the regulation is continuing to cause chaos on UK roads, resulting in substantial collisions, fatalities and injuries just in the last year.
E-scooter-related accidents have been on the rise since the second half of 2021, when coronavirus restrictions eased, with statistics highlighting that there were 1,280 collisions involving e-scooters, compared to 460 in 2020. 1,359 casualties involved e-scooters in comparison to 484 in 2020, and 9 people involved in collisions were killed compared to 1 in 2020.
Improving safety
While e-scooters remain a danger waiting to be fully regulated, there are numerous actions to take, to help pedestrians to use them as safely as possible.
- Wear a helmet: It’s not a legal requirement to wear a helmet, but it is in your best interest to protect yourself while using e-scooters on the road
- Avoid potholes: E-scooters aren’t designed for off-roading, so avoiding potholes is just as recommended as it is when driving a car. Operating handlebars isn’t as safe as a steering wheel, any sudden joints should be avoided to prevent losing control of the scooter
- Stay clear of bad weather: Driving in the rain is unsafe in any vehicle, but e-scooters especially. Bad weather can make braking distances longer and increase the risk of skidding
- One per person: While you may have seen many drivers sharing their ride home, electric scooters are designed for one person only. It’s not safe to partner up, and adding another person can affect the balance of the scooter, causing a serious accident for both passengers
Learn with Drivetech
To find out more about e-scooter safety, the team at Drivetech have developed a micro-mobility white paper, informing businesses on navigating new technologies and the safety and business risks involved, which can be downloaded here. Click to learn more about how we can support you.
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