PLEASE don’t buy e-scooters for Christmas presents – that’s the message from the Road Safety Partnership in Warwickshire as the festive season approaches.
The partnership says it is currently against the law to ride a privately owned e-scooter in any public place in the UK plus there are concerns for the safety of e-scooter riders and other road users.
Inspector Jem Mountford said: “Before you consider buying an e-scooter this Christmas it’s important to know that although you can buy one, it is illegal to use a privately owned e-scooter in any public space including roads, pavements, parks, town centres or canal towpaths, for example.
“This means most people will be breaking the law if they use an e-scooter.”
E-scooters are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles so they are treated as motor vehicles and subject to the same legal requirements such as MOT, licensing, tax and insurance.
As e-scooters do not have number plates, signalling ability and don’t always have visible rear lights, they can’t be used legally on the roads.
Warwickshire Police have legal powers to seize e-scooters and prosecute riders and between March 2020 and November 2021 a total of 31 e-scooters were seized in Warwickshire.
Whilst penalties for illegal use include a Fixed Penalty Notice for no insurance, with a £300 fine and six penalty points, officers will also be using Section 59 of the Police Reform Act to issue a warning to riders of e-scooters and educate them as to the legal requirements.
If a rider is under 16 years old then this advice will also be given to the parents.
“As well as being illegal, we have real concerns about the safety of e-scooters,” said Insp Mountford.
“In the first ten months of 2021, nationally there have been nine deaths and other casualties involving both e-scooter riders and other road users.”
Whilst some parts of the country are taking part in Government trials for e-scooter hire with a view to making them legal to use on the roads, Warwickshire is not currently part of the trials.
