E-scooters have become a familiar sight in many cities across the UK, however private e-scooters can only be used on private land and not public roads, cycle lanes or pavements, so it is only those you can rent as part of the government backed trials that we should see.
The Government have heralded the trials as a success as they often result in faster journey times than cars, can be used for deliveries in place of mopeds and help people from poorer backgrounds avoid the cost of getting a driving licence. The Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps will include legislation concerning e-scooters in the Queens Speech on 10th May.
However there is still considerable concern regarding their use. The emergency services attended 713 accidents involving the use of e-scooters in 2021, compared to 392 in 2020 Data shows a 40% rise in e-scooter riders being taken to A&E over the same period.
A teenage girl became the latest person to die in the UK whilst riding an e-scooter after a crash with a van in March 2022.
In December, Transport for London banned e-scooters from its network after a number of fires were caused by the devices, some resulting in injury.
There are around 18,000 rental scooters but there are still believed to be about 750,000 private scooters in use across the U.K. With legalisation, we could be set to see a significant increase in accidents and injuries.
Contact our Personal Injury Lawyers
If you require advice regarding an accident or injury as a result of an e-scooter, please contact our Personal Injury Team at Gregory Abrams Davidson on 0151 236 5000.
