E-scooters must face stricter safety rules and a licensing system similar to other motorised vehicles if they are legalised for use on the UK’s roads.
This is according to a survey carried out by YouGov for Keoghs, one of the UK’s largest defendant law firms specialising in motor insurance.
The survey of 2,094 UK adults showed that almost two thirds (65%) want to see a maximum speed limit installed on e-scooters, while 71% believe helmets should be mandatory. Age restrictions (68%) and a licencing system for riders (63%) also had widespread support, along with a ban on e-scooter use on pavements and in pedestrianised areas (68%).
Survey participants were most concerned about pedestrian safety (79%), followed closely by the safety of other road users (74%). Young people (aged 18-24), were significantly less likely to be concerned about the safety threats. Some 59% of those aged 18-24 stated concern about pedestrian safety compared with 90% of over 55s.
Keoghs, calling on the government to deliver a clear plan to for the prospective legalisation of e-scooters to provide clarity and to protect members of the general public. This is increasingly important as the number of e-scooters on the roads and highways continues to rise, along with the number of e-scooter related accidents - with 882[1] accidents reported involving e-scooters in the year ending June 2021.
Natalie Larnder, head of market affairs at Keoghs said: “As the number of e-scooters on our roads increases, we urgently need the government to properly address the laws around how they can be used safely. It’s clear that road users are concerned about safety and want an end to the ‘wild west’ created by the lack of proper regulation or clarity on how and where e-scooters can be used. Failure to address these points is leaving the public understandably concerned about the risk of e-scooters to pedestrians, other road users or to e-scooter riders themselves.”
Road-users may have been further confused around the legal use of e-scooters following the latest Highway Code update introducing a ‘hierarchy’ of road-users which appeared to omit e-scooters entirely.
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