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It’s true that there are some limited rental schemes being trialled around the country. But privately owned and operated e-scooters are illegal to use on road, pavements and other public spaces. And in case you are thinking that they are not allowed on Britain’s roads and pavements because the fuddy duddies at the Department of Transport haven’t bothered to update the Highways Act 1835; think again. No one can deny that they are fun to ride and get you from A to B quickly. But “quickly” does not mean “safely” or without other risks. So here are our top 10 things to think about before you buy an e-scooter.
- 1.It's against the law to ride one in the UK except on private property and that includes roads and pavements. The penalty for riding an e-scooter is £300 and six points on your driving licence. And if you don’t yet have a driving licence, the points will be held over until you do. And that means hefty insurance premiums when you decide you want upgrade to or rent a car.
- 2. The police have the right to confiscate your e-scooter. In 2019 more than 50 e-scooters were seized by Police in the UK. So you not only risk a fine, you may also lose your ride.
- 3. E-scooters are really dangerous. A study published in May 2020 by the University Hospital, Frankfurt concluded that "...e-scooter - related accidents are associated with a significant number of serious injuries" including more than 45 with traumatic brain injury and fractures in the Frankfurt area alone over a 9 month period.(see https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/5/1569/htm). Sadly the TV presenter Emily Hartridge became the first person to be killed in the UK when she collided with a lorry at a roundabout in Battersea.
- 4. Private e-scooters are not being legalized in June 2020. The Scheme announced by the Transport Secretary was for consultation about rented scooters schemes. Under the plan, privately owned scooters will still be illegal to use on the road.
- 5. Some e-scooters have powerful motors which will drive them at far more than the suggested maximum of 12.5mph. Hitting a kerb or a pedestrian at higher speeds speed can cause serious injury both to the victim and the rider, especially if (s)he isn’t wearing a helmet.
- 6. You can’t get 3rd party insurance on an e-scooter being ridden on the road illegally. So if you do hit someone or something, you will become personally liable for the consequences which could run to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
- 7. e-scooter wheels are usually only 100 -125mm in diameter (4-5 inches). Hitting a pothole at 15 miles per hour on a wheel of that size is not going to end well.
- 8. Because of their size, e-scooters are not typically designed with safety features such as lights, indicators, throttle interlocks or disc brakes; making them unstable and unreliable especially in poor weather.
- 9. There is no training available for using e-scooters on the roads. No driving licence requirement and no age limit either (because its illegal to use them!) so riders easily develop bad habits (such as using their phones or not wearing proper protective clothing such as helmets).
- 10. E-scooters don’t have storage space which means that the rider will often wear a backpack which will unbalance her especially if cornering quickly.
Why do this?
e-scooters are illegal and dangerous
When you could do this?
Electric scooters are safer, road legal and properly regulated. To find out more :
Click Here
