Electric scooters may be all the rage at the moment, but it’s important that anyone thinking of buying one knows the law about riding them.
While e-scooters are legally available in both high street stores and via online retailers, it’s against the law to ride a privately owned e-scooter in any public place in the UK – meaning roads, pavements, parks, town centres or canal towpaths.
In fact, the only place they can be ridden legally is on private land.
E-scooters are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) and if used on a road, pavement or public place, are subject to the same legal requirements as any motor vehicle.
So, what could happen if you ride an e-scooter in public? Well, using a ‘motor vehicle’ on a road or other public place without:
- Insurance – 6 points, £300 fine, seizure of vehicle
- Licence – penalty points, fine, seizure of vehicle
- Failing to comply with Construction & Use legislation – ranging from non-endorsable fixed penalty to being reported to court for using in a dangerous condition.
- Impaired by alcohol/drugs – licence disqualification, fine or penalty points.
MPC Andy Bennett, Road Casualty Reduction Officer with Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “We understand that e-scooters are very tempting for Christmas presents, but we would urge people to fully understand the law first.
“If our officers find anyone using e-scooters in a public place, the scooter will be seized, and the rider reported for any offences.”
“I would also urge anyone using an e-scooter legally – i.e. on private land – to carefully consider their safety before doing so. All riders should wear a helmet, younger riders particularly, would benefit from additional protective clothing such as knee and elbow pads to minimise injury.”
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, is the chair of the Vision Zero South West Partnership.
Commissioner Hernandez said: “The last thing any police officer wants to do is take away a much-loved and expensive gift – that is why we want to make this message clear before Christmas.
“If you think you’ll be able to ride your e-scooter out and about on the roads and streets of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, you are mistaken. It is against the law.
“I would specifically urge any parents considering buying an e-scooter for their children to think long and hard about doing so.”
For more information about Vision Zero South West, visit the Facebook page here or our Twitter page here.
You can read the full original release on the Devon and Cornwall OPCC website here.
‘Ridiculous’ speeders doing more than 100mph are slammed by commissioner
VIDEO TO GO WITH THIS ONE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss5eTsU6EKI
Motorists who travel at ‘ridiculous’ speeds have been reminded they risk not only their own lives, but those of others around them as well.
Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, made her comments after national road safety charity Brake released data showing that men are three times more likely to drive above 100mph than women, with more than 1 in 4 men admitting it.
Brake’s national study revealed that more than a quarter (28%) male drivers admit to speeding above 100mph, compared to just 1 in 10 (9%) for women.
1 in 3 (33%) 25-34 year old drivers say they have driven above 100mph, while 1 in 3 (32%) of all drivers have also been in a vehicle exceeding 100mph.
Commissioner Hernandez, chairman of Vision Zero South West and the national APCC lead on road safety, has strong words for anyone who thinks travelling at such speeds is acceptable.
“Our community is fed up with people flouting traffic laws when behind the wheel of a car and putting our lives at risk,” she said.
“Road crashes leave people’s lives devastated and we must do everything within our powers to stop them, and this includes clamping down on those who feel it’s OK to travel at ridiculous speeds.
“My recent survey on road safety showed that over 70% of respondents witness this happening either daily or weekly where they live.
“There is a reason speed limits exist, they’re not there just to annoy you – they are there to protect you and everyone around you. Ignoring them is simply unacceptable, which is why I believe fines issued to speeding motorists should be doubled in order to provide a greater deterrent.”
For more information about Vision Zero South West, visit the Facebook page here or our Twitter page here.
You can read the full original release on the Devon and Cornwall OPCC website here.
