Investigation
ROAD BAN
Deadly electric scooters are ILLEGAL and riders risk £300 fine and six points but manufacturers only tell customers in the small print
E-SCOOTERS like the one TV star Emily Hartridge died riding are being advertised as "getting you through traffic with ease" - but using them in public is ILLEGAL.
Electric-powered scooters are growing in popularity as manufacturers boast you can "roll freely in the streets" - but riders face a £300 fine and six points on their licence if they use them on public roads or pavements.
12
12
TV presenter and YouTuber Emily died aged 35 when she was hit by a lorry while riding an e-scooter less than half a mile from her home in Battersea, South West London, on Friday.
Less than 24 hours later, a 14-year-old boy was left fighting for his life in Beckenham, South East London, after crashing his scooter, raising concerns about their safety.
Riders may be unaware of the public ban as manufacturers and sellers bury the fact in their small print.
An investigation by The Sun Online has found adverts for dozens of e-scooters sold online come with only scant information about the law.
Why they are illegal
- In the UK, e-scooters fall under the definition of a motor vehicle.
- They must adhere to motor laws, including having insurance, number plates and an MoT.
- They must have mirrors, brake lights and indicators
- It is illegal to ride them on all UK roads, cycle lanes and pavements.
- E-scooter riders face a £300 fine and six points on their driving licence.
- It is only legal to ride them on private property with the landowner’s permission.
Of 20 adverts from 20 different websites surveyed, we found only two made clear using the vehicles on public roads was illegal.
Three other websites did state the electric scooters were not for use on roads, but did not explicitly say they were illegal.
'PERFECT FOR COMMUTING'
Amazon UK currently advertises an M MEGAWHEELS Electric Scooter on their site for £199 that has a maximum speed of 14mph, which customers are told they can "roll freely in the streets".
Electric Bike Scooter Car, a dedicated retailer for electric vehicles, is selling the HT-T3 S1 scooter for £279.99.
The product description strongly implies you can ride it out and about - saying the scooter makes it "easy to get through traffic" and the light on the front helps with "visibility on dark city streets".
While the Xiaomi M365 sold on Appliances Direct for £337.99 is touted as "the perfect scooter for commuting, ferrying you effortlessly from car or train to office and back again".
British retailer Argos sells the Razor E90 Accelerator Electric Scooter for £66.99 that can reach speeds of 9mph.
The hi-tech gadget does come with a safety warning - but it isn't immediately obvious.
Only in the small print is the customer told: "Vehicle not to be used on public highways (roads/pavements): it must be used on private property with owner's consent."
12
12
12
12
12
Meanwhile the instruction manual for INOKIM Light 2, an e-scooter that reaches 21.7mph and boasts "road lighting" offers a general warning to "always follow the local laws and regulations" - but gives no further specifics.
Aldi sells the budget Crane E-Scooter at £179.99, with a safety warning at the bottom of the advert.
However, while it states that they're "not intended for use on public roads", there's no mention the e-scooters also illegal on pavements and cycle paths too.
Halfords, the UK's biggest bicycle retailer, sells 14 e-scooters. The manufacturer now has a visible tab on its products page, clearly warning that the scooters cannot be used on any public highways.
When challenged by The Sun Online, an Amazon UK spokesman said the company would be now contacting sellers to ask them to include clearer information in their adverts.
12
12
'MICROMOBILITY'
Renewed calls for a safety crackdown come as Transport for London reviews whether the battery-powered vehicles could be legalised.
The Department for Transport has pledged to spend £90million on mobility trials to see whether e-scooters - and other forms of "micromobility" - could be allowed access to pavements, cycling paths and even roads.
DfT to change the law after an explosion of shared e-scooter use across Europe and the US.
The popularity of the light-weight gadgets is evident here too - despite the laws in place against it.
In Emily's final post just four days before her death she uploaded a video about her "wonderful" relationship with boyfriend Jacob Hazell - in which he is filmed gifting her two electric scooters.
It is not yet clear if she was riding either of them at the time of her death.
DEVIL-MAY CARE
In the capital, commuters cut through traffic in morning rush-hour, while in Leeds one man pelted the wrong way up a cycle lane without a helmet.
Last month, Olympic diving champion Tom Daley was spotted whizzing about town. His spokesman later said Tom was unaware he was breaking the law.
Indeed, when The Sun quizzed culprits in London, they had a devil-may-care attitude to the law — and risk of a £300 fine and driving licence points.
Katya Lakshtana, 43, said: “I have been stopped and told it’s not legal but not by the police.
“Being fined would worry me a little but it’s easier than a bike, so I’ll just carry on.”
Bank worker Sam Chivers, 30, on a £400 scooter, said: “These things are no more dangerous than bikes. If I get stopped by the police, I’l take the fine.”
Free-wheeling? The laws on e-scooters
Laws surrounding electric scooters vary greatly from country to country.
In the UK they're classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles - meaning they're not subject to taxes or registration, but aren't legal for use anywhere other than private land.
If found riding one on roads, pavements or cycle paths, you could be fined £300 or get 6 points on your licence - even if you don't have one. You can also have your vehicle confiscated.
Legalising them here would require the Government to review its out-dated Highways Act of 1835.
In the US, electric scooters are allowed on roads that lack bicycle lanes so long as they don’t exceed the speed limit of 25mph.
However, California does accept PLEVs on cycle lanes, pavements, and roads, as long as the rider is wearing a helmet and is aged 16 or older.
In Canada, electric scooters are generally legal.
Across the EU, it varies as in Sweden and Austria electric scooters can be operated on the road at speeds of up to 15mph.
In France, this speed is permitted only in a cycle lane and in Germany electric scooters can only reach 3.7mph while on the pavement.
'I DIDN'T REALISE'
In April the Met Police's cycle safety team launched a week-long operation to crack down on Londoners using electric scooters, resulting in five prosecutions.
The Met Police Twitter account was even MOCKED when it posted a photo showing a flatbed truck carrying away a scooter. Its Cycle Safety Team posted: “Please be aware that Mechanically Propelled Scooters are illegal and can’t be used on roads. If you know someone that uses one, let them know. Riders face the possibility of it being seized, having points on their licence and/or being fined.”
Users accused the police of a heavy-handed approach.
Pedestrians felt differently. Kelly Wellman, 25, told us: “I’ve seen some of them going too fast. They should at least be made to wear helmets.”
Office administrator Kirsty Head, 31, added: “A guy came off because he was going too fast outside my office..”
Now pressure is mounting for the Government to review e-scooter use and for ALL sellers to make clear the legal curbs on their use.
Nick Lloyd, at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, said of the recent fatality: “While this is the first death in the UK, there have already been a number of deaths across Europe. This issue needs careful consideration. Use of e-scooters is increasing, so we urge the Government to look at current legislation to ensure it is fit for purpose.”
Samuel Nahk, at road safety charity Brake, said: “Alternatives to cars are vital but the safety implications must be explored.
“Retailers must make it clear they are illegal on roads. We also call on the Government to clearly communicate what is permittable and to review current regulations.”
Many countries around the world ALLOW e-scooters — but rising casualty and injury counts are sounding alarm bells.
Singers Sam Smith and Justin Bieber have been seen riding in the US, where it is legal, while Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher has invested in e-scooter rental firm Bird. TV chef Gordon Ramsay posted a shot of him riding one in New Zealand, where it is also given the green light. Paris, Copenhagen and San Francisco now have e-scooter rental schemes like London’s “Boris bikes”.
In the US, where an estimated 38.5million rental trips were made last year, there were 11 DEATHS. Two California hospitals together saw 249 admissions to A&E.
Paris suffered its first fatality last month, a year after a rental scheme introduced 20,000 e-scooters, when a 25-year-old died after he was hit by a van. In a separate incident, an 81-year-old man was killed as an e-scooter jumped a red light.
BATMAN E-SCOOTERS
It is claimed some 850 pedestrians have been injured in Paris, including a pianist who suffered a career-ending wrist break.
In the UK, a government consultation, Future of Mobility: Urban Strategy, is taking place.
Transport minister Michael Ellis said: “Micro-mobility products are appearing across the globe and are exciting. Yet we are examining if they can be used safely and, if so, how it should be regulated. People need to be aware it is currently illegal to ride on the pavement and road.”
A week-long Met Police crackdown on e-scooters in April saw five prosecutions — but the force is stretched by the war on knives.
Sgt Andy Osborne said many people don't realise it is illegal to ride them anywhere but on private land.
“We are noticing a trend - scooters are becoming more prevalent.
"A lot of people will say ‘I didn’t realise’ and walk off with it.
"If they do something particularly dangerous we will take it off them.”
A lot of people will say ‘I didn’t realise’ and walk off with it. If they do something particularly dangerous we will take it off them.
Sgt Andy Osborne, Metropolitan Police bicycle safety team
Sgt Osborne said some riders claim they even bought the scooters through a tax-free cycle to work scheme intended only for bikes.
Last year a 15-year-old boy was hit with six penalty points on his future licence - despite not being old enough to drive.
He'd been caught riding an electric scooter "at high speeds" in Cleveland, North East England.
E-scooters are frequently cited as a clean, green, transport mode of the future - but the death of Emily Hartridge will serve as a reminder of the safety concerns still plaguing them.
Xavier Brice, CEO of Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, believes electric scooters can be appealing to those who normally wouldn't cycle.
But he said they had clear concerns about e-scooters and their impact on other road users because of their "rapid rate of acceleration".
"The needs and safety of everyone, including pedestrians and other vulnerable road users, must be considered before any change in the law," he told The Sun Online.
MOST READ NEWS
"In particular, there must be clear limitations on power and speed.
"We would be firmly opposed to any proposals which would allow electric scooters or electric bikes to exceed 25kph [15mph] under motorised power while retaining the right to use cycle facilities."
Electric Bike Scooter Car and Argos have not yet responded to requests for a comment.
12
12
12
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
Topics