23 Jan, 2024/ by National Accident Helpline /News
Are electric scooters legal?
Electric scooters are legal in the UK, but only if you use them following the laws which detail how to use them. It is also legal to purchase an electric scooter in the UK.
The main rule for the use of electric scooters is that if it is your own private scooter, you can only use the e-scooter on private land. This can be land which is yours or which belongs to another whose permission you have to do so.
It is illegal to use your electric scooter on public land, such as a road, unless you can make sure of the following:
- that you have insurance for your e-scooter
- your electric scooter has lights, number plates and indicators
- your e-scooter has MOT
- you have tax on your e-scooter
These rules apply because e-scooters do not have a special law so are considered “powered transporters '. Therefore, all legal requirements which apply to other motor vehicles apply to electric scooters too. As it is impossible to comply with all these rules for an e-scooter, it effectively makes riding a private electric scooter in public in the UK illegal.
If you do not comply with the above when riding an electric scooter on the road you are riding your e-scooter illegally. This means you risk the police seizing it and only returning your electric scooter if you obtain insurance for it. However, if you ride an electric scooter on hire, so a rented e-scooter as part of a government support trial, you can legally ride them on public land.
New e-scooter law from 5th December
If you do not have an electric scooter, it is possible to hire one in one of the e-scooter trial areas in the UK. Where you do, you have to have a provisional driving licence. Amongst other rules, you must also ensure you:
- carry a maximum of one person only
- do not scoot on the pavement
- are not intoxicated
- do not take it on the motorway
However, a new law was recently introduced for e-scooters on hire. This came into place on 5th December 2023. It says that if you rent an electric scooter you must give the hire place your:
- name
- driving licence number
- a photo of the front of your driving licence
These details are stored by the e-scooter hire business and can be given to the police if necessary. This allows them to trace dangerous and reckless electric scooter drivers and should discourage drivers from driving e-scooters on the road. It should also stop those under 17 years from using e-scooters on hire and ensure those hiring them have an understanding of road rules. The rules are also in place to protect other road users from electric scooter riders.
Will e-scooters be legal in the UK in 2024?
Despite it only being legal to ride an electric scooter on the roads in the UK if you either hire the scooter or comply with the stringent laws if it is your own scooter, there is a call from UK councils to make private electric scooters legal in the UK at some point in 2024. The Transport Committee of MPs also supports this view. Advice has also been given to the Government about ways to make e-scooters safer on roads should they be made legal in the future. For example, there should be a minimum front wheel size.
In addition, electric scooter trials have been very popular and it is believed that they are a good choice of transport when the cost of living is so high and emissions are too. They can also be faster than cars for some journeys.
If e-scooters do become legal in the UK in 2024, laws could encourage safe riding and to keep the road users safe.
Why are rental e-scooters legal?
One of the reasons rental e-scooters were made legal in these areas was to help with the effects of the climate crisis. It is also legal to ride rental e-scooters on public land because electric scooter trial areas have public liability insurance. Therefore, if an accident does occur, the insurance can pay damages that arise. However, you will have to pay a fee for the scooter.
E-scooter trial areas
Despite the rules about riding your e-scooter in public places, some councils have specific public areas where you can ride them. The maximum speed you can ride is 15.5 mph. These are e-scooter trial areas. There are 23 e-scooter trial areas in England in total and these started in July 2020 by the Department for Transport. You must have a driving licence with a category Q to do so. One of the major places where there are e-scooter trials are:
- Middlesbrough
- Milton Keynes
- Hartlepool
- Northampton
- Birmingham
- Norwich
- Cheltenham
London is also an e-scooter trial area, where you can ride an electric scooter in:
- Camden
- Ealing
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Lambeth
- Richmond upon Thames
Are electric scooter accidents common?
Electric scooters are dangerous due to the nature of an electric scooter. When you ride an e-scooter there is no vehicle body to protect you when an accident occurs. It is also difficult for other road users to spot you.
In the year ending June 2023, 1,269 collisions occurred which included an electric scooter and 1355 casualties. Unfortunately seven people were killed in electric scooter collisions in the year ending June 2023. E-scooters are dangerous and accidents are common, and police have given e-scooter users warnings about the damage of electric scooters.
E-scooter safety tips:
If you do hire an e-scooter or the use a private one becomes legal in the UK, here are some e-scooter safety tips for you:
- wear a helmet
- ensure the helmet meets legal requirements
- wear fluorescent clothes in poor light
- be wary of what is around you
- park safely
- use other protective clothing such as elbow pads and knee pads
- check the e-scooter does not have wear and tear
- use your lights and bells
- watch out for dangerous winter conditions
Can you claim for an e-scooter accident?
E-scooters can be dangerous and an accident could be serious. Like any road traffic accident, a collision involving an e-scooter could result in serious injury and could even be fatal. You may suffer a personal injury as a result of an e-scooter accident as the driver, another road user or even as a pedestrian. You may be able to claim compensation when you suffer a personal injury through an e-scooter accident where it was not entirely your fault.
When you start a personal injury claimwith National Accident Helpline, it is a straightforward process. Our helpline advisors will listen to how your electric scooter accident happened to help you get you the compensation you rightly deserve. Then our expert solicitors will work with you to complete the claim.
You can use our compensation calculator to work out how much compensation you might receive. You may also be able to make a no win no fee compensation claim. When you make a no win no fee claim with us your personal injury lawyer will take out insurance on your behalf that will cover all your claim costs and expenses including medical report fees, court fees and any barrister fees; so long as you comply with their terms and conditions, you won't have to pay any costs upfront, and there are no hidden surprises.
If you have suffered in an electric scooter accident you may be due personal injury compensation. So give us a call today at to make your personal injury compensation claim. Or, if it is easier, you can ask us to call you back here.
Last updated 23.01.24