THE Road Safety Partnership in Warwickshire is asking the public not to buy an e-scooter – because it is illegal to ride a privately owned e-scooter in any public place in the UK.
And they warn that anyone breaking that law could have their e-scooter seized by police.
In 2021 24 e-scooters were seized by officers in Warwickshire who, as well as having legal powers to seize the machines, can also prosecute riders.
Sergeant Shaun Bridle said: “Once seized by officers, your e-scooter will be collected by our vehicle recovery team and you will be unlikely to get it back.
“With most e-scooters costing £500-£1000 this is a lot of money to lose.
“E-scooter riders can also face a £300 fine and six points on their licence for riding an e-scooter with no insurance.
“You may be able to insure your e-scooter for theft and damage and for use on private land, however currently there are no insurance companies that will insure a privately owned e-scooter for use on the road or public place (such as parks) and this is a legal requirement.
“You also need to have an appropriate licence, so anyone under 16 will not be able to hold a licence.”
He added that officers are also issuing warnings to e-scooter users to educate them on 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 Sgt Bridle.
“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.
“If you cause serious harm to another person whilst riding an e-scooter the incident will be investigated in the same way it would if you were riding a motorcycle or driving a car.”
