Safety charity calls on tougher legislation in UK
The future of e-scooters in the UK is being questioned by a road safety charity after 90 per cent of voters in Paris chose to ban rental models.
The landslide referendum in the French capital saw 9 in 10 voters opt for a ban amid growing safety concerns, with 459 injuries and three deaths attributed to e-scooters in the city last year alone.
According to IAM Roadsmart, e-scooters are similarly unpopular in the UK, where more than two thirds of the population would support a similar ban.
IAM Roadsmart’s survey of more than 2,000 UK motorists found 68 per cent were in favour of laws that would ban e-scooters.
Today, e-scooters are illegal on the roads of the UK unless rented out by licenced operators in trial cities. However, with 50 UK cities trialling their use they have become a common sight in many urban areas.
The UK has often been seen as lagging behind other countries in terms of e-scooter legislation, and the House of Commons Transport Select Committee has called for private models to be legalised. Many users see them as extremely convenient for “last mile” travel, either from a parked car or train station to their final destination.
James May, the former Top Gear host and some-time presenter of Prime Video’s The Grand Tour, is an advocate. Writing in The Sunday Times Magazine, May said banning e-scooters would be like “legislating against people trying to say words when burping”.
However, the vehicles are seemingly unpopular with many members of the public, with reports of accidents involving pedestrians on pavements and vehicles on the road. Coventry stopped its e-scooter trial after just five days following complaints about how the vehicles were being used.
The latest Department for Transport (DfT) statistics show there were 1,434 casualties involving e-scooters in 2021, including 10 deaths. That’s up from 484 casualties in 2020.
IAM Roadsmart said legislation is needed for the vehicles, with casualties involving e-scooters trebling in just 12 months and called on the government to take swift action, as it fears delays will mean more people are killed or seriously injured by e-scooter riders.
Some 68 per cent of respondents to the IAM Roadsmart survey said the growth in e-scooters was a threat to road safety, with the same number supporting a ban. A massive 86 per cent would back tougher regulation, which the charity suggested could include a law restricting e-scooters to cycle lanes, enforcing age limits on riders and introducing strict design and construction standards.
The survey highlighted a generational gap, though, with three quarters of over-70s seeing the vehicles as a threat compared with six in ten 17-34 year-olds (59 per cent).
“The people of Paris voiced their opinions on e-scooters loud and clear at the voting booths, and our research demonstrates that British road users have similar concerns to our French counterparts,” said Neil Greig, the director of policy and research at IAM Roadsmart.
“We still await the Transport Bill, meaning there is still no regulation of these vehicles, which can go up to 30mph in some cases.
“Given the number of collisions we have seen on our roads and pavements involving e-scooters since they have been introduced, the concerns of the public are more than understandable.
“The government must act faster to regulate e-scooters before more injuries are sustained and lives are tragically lost. In the meantime, we would encourage those who wish to use rental e-scooters to ride with caution, vigilance and due attention, keeping themselves, other motorists and pedestrians safe.”
- After reading about a ban on e-scooters in Paris, you might like to read about the illegal e-scooter rider who lost a £30,000 injury claim in first UK court case of its type
- Did you know that James May has an electric scooter?
- Or read more about the delayed decision on e-scooter legality in the UK
Keyword: Paris votes to ban e-scooters — is London next?