E-Scooters: over half of casualties are outside trial areas

More than half of casualties from e-scooter accidents are found outside the zones where you are legally allowed to use them, according to new government figures.

Injuries ranged from cuts and grazes to fractures and head traumas, a report from the Department for Transport said.

Most of the casualties were e-scooter users, but almost a third were other road users, mostly pedestrians.

Seven e-scooter users died following collisions in the year to June 2023.

Road safety charity IAM Roadsmart said the figures were "shocking" and demonstrated there was a "wild west" culture on the UK's streets. It urged the government to speed up legislation governing private e-scooters.

The Department for Transport said it planned to extend city-centre trials of e-scooters until May 2026 and would consult on new regulations "in due course".

Currently e-scooters can be used within specially designated zones in more than 20 cities in England. Users sign up to an app and are covered by the operator's insurance. Scooters in those schemes are limited to a maximum speed of 15.5 mph.

E-scooters are also available to purchase, ostensibly for use on private land. However, they have become increasingly popular with commuters and teenagers travelling to school.

Transport charity Collaborative Mobility UK estimates there are 750,000 privately-owned e-scooters in use in the UK.

Nicholas Lyes, from IAM Roadsmart said he had seen e-scooters advertised online with a maximum speed of 47mph.

"E-scooters are becoming more sophisticated and faster. Legislation is already behind schedule and is not keeping up with rapid scale of technological progress.

"It's a bit of a free for all out there."

He said there should be a competency test for users and a maximum speed for private scooters.

The government has said it will extend current trials until May 2026 to allow further evidence to be gathered.

The latest report from the government's statistical service shows that in the year to the end of June 2023 only 524 out of the 1080 collisions reported took place within or close to trial areas.

The report could not differentiate between e-scooters that belonged to a trial scheme and ones that were privately owned, but did have a record of the location of the collision. While the total number of collisions was lower than a year previously, the report said not all police forces had submitted data, so the real total was likely to be higher.

Despite the rules governing e-scooter use, police forces are concerned that young people especially, are using them unlawfully and have warned parents against giving e-scooters as Christmas presents.

More than 40% of the casualties recorded in the report were people under the age of 20.

Martin Usher from Lime Solicitors said private e-scooters were being used on public roads "with little to no resistance" and called for more action to ensure roads were safe "for all who use them".

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Safety is at the heart of our e-scooter trials which is why we are extending them to May 2026, in order to gather further evidence as the technology develops and to ensure any future legislation balances safety, user accountability and market growth.

"We will consult in due course on the detail of possible regulations, including minimum rider ages and maximum speeds - this will provide vital information to help shape next steps."