E-Scooters on Britain’s Roads: A Matter of Deterrence, Discipline, or the Lack of Both
Between 1 June and 8 September 2024, Thames Valley Police in southern England seized a total of 118 e-scooters and e-bikes, citing complaints from members of the public about careless and speeding riders who posed “significant risks” to themselves, pedestrians, and other road users. These figures denote a small part of a much wider problem, the source of which is familiar to most road users in Britain’s towns and cities. A Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) statement from 26 March 2024 suggested that over a million privately-owned e-scooters, which did not meet the required standards for motor vehicles, were being used illegally on public roads in Britain at the time.
We need dwell no further on e-bikes, the sale and use of which is legal in the UK, but instead focus on e-scooters. An electric scooter is a motorised two-wheel vehicle, or ‘powered two-wheeler’, the sale and purchase of which is also legal in the UK, although its use is restricted. In contrast with e-bikes, e-scooters cannot be self-propelled as they lack pedals and are thus subject to the Road Traffic Act 1988, in line with other motor vehicles.
Privately-owned e-scooters can only be used on private land, with the landowner’s permission, and not in public spaces, such as roads, pavements, cycle lanes, and pedestrianised areas (parks, town centres). The illegal use of privately-owned e-scooters in public spaces can invite a fixed penalty of £300 and six points on a driving licence for riding without insurance, or a £100 fine and three to six penalty points for being without a licence, not to mention possible confiscation of the offending vehicle. Privately-owned e-scooters do not require registration plates, signalling indicators, or rear lights. Owners do not have to pay road tax, vehicle tax (MOT certification), or third-party insurance premiums. E-scooters cannot be carried on public transport (buses, trams, trains), as defective and overheated lithium-ion batteries are at risk of igniting and have been found responsible for several fires.
Shared e-scooter share schemes were first introduced in Santa Monica, California, in September 2017, and have since been taken up in many parts of the world. The Electric Scooter Trials and Traffic Signs (Coronavirus) Regulations and General Directions 2020 came into effect on 4 July 2020, legalising e-scooter rental schemes in selected towns and cities in England, which now number 57. It is legal to ride rental e-scooters on cycle lanes or public roads in trial areas. E-scooters can be hired using a smartphone app. The participating rental companies include Dott, Lime, TIER, and Voi, who are responsible for vehicle registration and insurance. Users must be above 17 and possess a category Q driving licence. Short-term scooter rental schemes rely on either docked scooters, which can be picked up at fixed locations, or may use tagged scooters that can be left anywhere within a fixed radius. The maximum speed of rented e-scooters is set at 15.5 mph, or 12.5 mph in London. E-scooter trials were set to end on 31 August 2020, but have been extended since to May 2026 to allow evidence gathering to ‘ensure that any future legislation balances safety, user accountability and market growth.’ Since 5 December 2023, a renter must provide their name, driving licence number, and a photo of the front of the driving licence to the e-scooter hire business.
There are some advantages to e-scooter use. An e-scooter is a low-cost and sustainable alternative for short-distance, reasonably fast, urban travel. It is worthy of consideration at a time of growing concerns over climate change, although it does not add to the rider’s physical fitness, as no active effort is required to ride an e-scooter, unlike when walking or cycling.
Unfortunately, e-scooters have been linked to a variety of crimes, including snatch thefts in towns and cities and the stealing of farm machinery in the countryside. Riders also pose a danger to human life as they can collide with other road users, moving vehicles, or stationary objects and thereby injure or kill innocent bystanders, as well as themselves. Unsafe riding practices can result from inattention while using handheld mobile devices, irresponsible driving, alcohol or drug intoxication, or criminal behaviour. Other road users may be disadvantaged as the vehicles are relatively silent, often not easily visible, as well as being potentially unstable. Soft tissues (bruises, lacerations, sprains), bones (fractures, dislocations), or the head, chest, or abdomen may bear the brunt of violent impacts involving e-scooters. According to PACTS, at least 42 deaths involving e-scooters have been reported since 2019: one in 2019, three in 2020, thirteen in 2021, fourteen in 2022, six in 2023 and five in 2024 (to the beginning of September). Most fatalities have involved riders.
The future of e-scooters in public spaces is yet to be determined. Meanwhile, the proliferation of illegal e-scooters on Britain’s public roads is indicative of a lack of visible policing, and of undisciplined riders, who choose to defy the laws of the land with impunity. Mandatory licensing, insurance, and taxation, alongside safety equipment (cycle helmets, fluorescent clothing in dim light, knee and elbow pads, etc), and rider training are a priority if e-scooters are to become a safe and acceptable part of our urban landscape.
Ashis Banerjee