E-scooters are an ever popular mode of transport for many across the United Kingdom but many people who own them don’t know the laws surrounding their use.
Fortunately, West Mercia Police have shared some helpful advice on where you can legally use an e-scooter and where it is currently illegal to do so.
From West Mercia Police:
In the news recently there has been coverage of a number of serious life changing and sadly, fatal collisions involving E-Scooters. Here is some information on when you can ride them legally…
Electric scooters, or E-Scooters, are an up-and-coming mode of transport, but it is illegal to use them on public roads, on pavements, in cycle lanes and in pedestrian-only areas (unless within a designated trial area). Many people are now riding them illegally on public roads / pavements.
Are electric scooters legal in the UK? Electric scooters are legal to buy and own in the UK. The more expensive ones claim top speeds of 18 mph with a range of over 50 miles – once modified some can achieve 30+ mph. However, there are lots of restrictions surrounding where they can be used.
Electric scooters are currently classed as ‘powered transporters’ by the government and fall under the same laws and regulations that apply to all ‘motor vehicles’. There is established case law concerning a ‘Go-Ped’, DPP v Saddington (2001) or a ‘Segway’ Coates v CPS 2011 and a ‘City Bug’ Electric scooter Winter v DPP – [2002] EWHC 1524 (Admin) which found that the rider had been properly convicted of the offence of driving a vehicle without insurance.
Therefore use on public roads of e-scooters could only be legal if e-scooters could meet the same requirements as motor vehicles (e.g. in terms of insurance, tax, license, registration) – which they can’t because the cannot meet the Construction & Use Regs regarding safety etc…
Do you need insurance for an electric scooter? You would need insurance to ride an E-Scooter on a road, but you cannot obtain it, because it does not meet the Road Traffic Act regulations and cannot meet the requirements of Sec 143 RTA. However, insurance is provided by the operator in trial areas. You would not need insurance to ride an E-Scooter on private land, but you would need the land owners permission. Like off-road motor bikes, permission to ride an e-scooter on private land is not easily forthcoming, because the land owner may be afraid of any liability against themselves, should the rider hurt themselves or someone else.
Do you need a driver’s licence for an electric scooter? You would need a full licence or a provisional licence with category ‘q’ to ride an E-Scooter on a road, because it is a ‘two-wheeled vehicle with an engine size of no more than 50cc , with a maximum design speed of no more than 15.5mph’. A ‘q’ category is granted with category AM – mopeds. So the normal rules on age limits, L plates etc apply. In theory – e-scooters should be ridden with L plates, unless you have a full licence, but I think we are unlikely to see anyone put L plates on an e-scooter.
You would not need a driving licence to ride an E-Scooter on private land, but you would need the land owners permission.
Trials
The government recognises that E-Scooters are an economical, environmentally friendly form of personal transport and from October 2020 have allowed trials in a limited number of areas including Redditch. The trial involves private rentals from a company called Bird, via their app and their use is ‘geo-fenced’ to a limited area, restricting main roads. The app promotes safe responsible use, wearing protective gear and respecting other road users. The rental charges seem to provide public liability cover and Bird demand that renters are 18 with a driving licence with category q. https://www.bird.co/blog/community-informing-bird-first-uk-scooter-trials/
The government advice can be found at:
