E-scooters are becoming more common on our roads – but even the legal ones are causing trouble for professionals such as taxi drivers.
The problem is that they are easy to come by and can reach high speeds which, when driven carelessly, can put the riders – frequently children – and other road users at risk. This means they are more likely to be involved in collisions and taxi drivers having to claim for damage through their taxi insurance.
Even legal scooters, such as those available for hire from councils, can cause problems because those operating them do not think of themselves as driving a motor vehicle. But that is exactly what they are doing, as a 19-year-old from Nottingham found out when he was arrested last month on suspicion of drink-driving after crashing into a taxi in the early hours.
Rules for riding
Nottinghamshire Police told the BBC the scooter was legally hired through the council’s transport scheme and was therefore allowed on the road. But Ch Insp Paul Hennessy added: “In the same way as driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol is illegal, riding an e-scooter whilst over the limit is also a criminal offence and will be punished accordingly.
“So rather than thinking of their rented e-scooter as a novelty to be taken lightly, I encourage users to think of them instead in the same way they would think of a car or a motorcycle,” he added.
“Because if we catch them drinking and driving, they will be treated in exactly the same way as other road users – with all the legal, personal and professional consequences that go with that.”
Serious injury
That arrest comes a month after an e-scooter rider was jailed for seriously injuring a woman he crashed into in Hertfordshire.
The 19-year-old crashed into a woman riding a bike in July last year. The woman in her 40s was taken to hospital with life-changing head injuries.
The e-scooter rider fled the scene after the collision but was later arrested. He pleaded guilty to causing serious injury whilst disqualified, failing to stop at a collision, failing to report a collision, driving while disqualified and possession of cannabis. He was jailed for 12 months, given a two-year driving ban and ordered to pay a £167 victim surcharge.
Detective Constable Boris Kahn, from the Serious Collisions Investigation Unit, said: “This case shows the dangers e-scooters can pose, and I would like to issue a reminder that it is against the law to ride e-scooters on public land anywhere in the county. They can only be used on private land with the landowner’s permission.
“While they can be used on public land as part of a government trial, there are currently no trials taking place anywhere in Hertfordshire.”
Highway Code
The Highway Code classes e-scooters as a form of powered transport that falls within the legal definition of a motor vehicle and they are covered by the same rules that apply to cars and motor bikes.
It is illegal to use them on a public road unless it is part of a government trial. Even then, they should only be used on public roads and not in pedestrian areas or on pavements.
They can be used on private land with the owner’s permission.
Penalties for breaching the law depend on the offence, and sentences range from fines and penalty points, to driving bans and prison.
The sooner people treat e-scooters as cars or motorbikes, the better. They put themselves and other road users at risk and can cause serious damage and injury. The speed at which they manoeuvre along roads and pavements means they can do serious damage to a taxi, PHV or any other vehicle they hit.
