Warwickshire Police and partners urge people not to buy e-scooters this Christmas

Partners in Warwickshire working together to improve road safety are urging the public not to buy e-scooters this Christmas because it’s currently against the law to ride a privately owned e-scooter in any public place in the UK.

Sergeant Shaun Bridle said “We understand that buying an e-scooter can be tempting, especially as you can get them from many popular retailers. However the law is clear. You can buy one but it is illegal to use a privately owned e-scooter in any public space including roads, pavements, parks, town centres or canal towpaths for example. The only place a privately owned e-scooter can be used is on private land.”

This is because e-scooters are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) so they are treated as motor vehicles and subject to the same legal requirements such as MOT, licensing, tax and insurance.

As e-scooters do not have number plates, signalling ability and don’t always have visible rear lights, they can’t be used legally on the roads.

Whilst some parts of the country are taking part in Government trials for e-scooter hire with a view to making them legal to use on the roads, Warwickshire is not currently part of the trials so e-scooters cannot be hired at this time.

Councillor Andy Crump, Portfolio Holder for Fire & Rescue and Community Safety at Warwickshire County Council said “We understand the public’s support for environmentally friendly modes of transport and want to work with our local communities to make sure the roads are safe for everyone. However, we are asking the public not to rush in to buying an e-scooter but to await the results of the UK trial.”

“In the meantime please do not ride an e-scooter in a public place”

Warwickshire Police have the powers to seize e-scooters and prosecute riders– please make sure you keep your e-scooter on private land so this doesn’t happen to you.

Officers will also be using Section 59 of the Police Reform Act to issue a warning to riders of e-scooters and educate them as to the legal requirements. If a rider is under 16 years old then this advice will also be given to the parents.