E scooters and the law

One side effect of lockdown has been a drop in pollution in our towns and cities. As people return to the workplace many are keen to do what they can to help keep those levels down. With public transport seen as an infection risk, there has been a lot of interest in e-scooters.

So, what is the legal position with these motorised scooters? Well, despite the fact that they are readily available in mainstream shops and online they can only legally be used in public places, including on the roads, if they are rented from an approved trial scheme and you need a full or provisional driving licence, or a motorbike or moped or  to ride one.

It’s likely then that if you see an e-scooter in use on the road or pavement – and there are plenty of them – it’s being ridden illegally. This could well be a problem if you are unfortunate enough to be injured in an accident involving one as the owner / rider is highly unlikely to be insured.

The contents of this article do not constitute legal advice and are provided for general information purposes only.