E-scooters raise safety concerns at DfT

 

The Department for Transport (DfT) is meeting with industry to discuss issues around electric scooters following what is thought to be the first UK road death involving someone riding one.

TV presenter and YouTuber Emily Hartridge was killed in a crash involving an electric scooter and lorry in Battersea, south London.

The DfT want e-scooter retailers to remind the public that the law currently forbids riding them on the road or pavements in the UK.

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The only place they can be ridden is on private land, with the permission of the landowner. Riders face a £300 fixed-penalty notice and six points on their driving licence for using e-scooters.

As Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) they are treated as motor vehicles, which means they are subject to the same requirements such as MOT, tax, licensing and construction requirements including visible rear red lights, number plates and signalling ability.

Electric scooters do not have these and so are not legal for roads.

An electric scooter, or e-scooter, is similar to a traditional children's scooter but with a motor attached.

The government concluded a consultation earlier this year on the future of urban mobility, which put much store by micro-mobility methods such as e-scooters, however as of yet these is no change to the law planned.

Transport minister Michael Ellis said: 'Micromobility products are appearing in countries across the globe and are an exciting innovation for which we know there is demand. However, safety must always be our top priority when considering their use on public highways in this country.

'We are examining whether they can be used safely on the road - and if so, how that should be regulated to ensure the public's safety. However, companies must understand that reviewing laws does not necessarily mean laws will change.

'People who use e-scooters need to be aware it is currently illegal to ride them on the pavement and the road.'

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