Electric scooters have become increasingly popular over the past few years across Europe, and, more recently, the UK. This is largely due to the fact that they are easy to use, portable and environmentally friendly. However, the laws around these scooters are widely unknown, and this can lead to electric scooter accidents.
Electric Scooter Laws
Electric scooters, or E-scooters as they are more commonly known, are common in scooter shares around Europe. This is when a person rents the scooter and is able to use it for a certain amount of time. Whilst there are a couple of cities in the UK that are also piloting the scheme, notably Bristol, Bath and London, most E-scooters in the UK are privately owned. This therefore makes them illegal to use on anything other than private land.
Scooters in the UK are classified as “powered transporters”. This means that they fall under the same legislation as motor vehicles. They would therefore need to meet the same standards under the Road Traffic Act 1988 to be legalised in public. They must be insured, registered with the DVLA and taxed. To use an E scooter on private land, you don’t need to have a valid license or insurance. They are not legal for use on public roads.
As it stands if you’re caught using a privately-owned electric scooter on public land, you’re liable to receive a £300 fine, 6 points on your license and the possibility of having your scooter confiscated.
When using a rental E scooter as part of the trials, The Met Police have also said that fines and penalty points will be distributed for actions reflecting the laws around driving a motor vehicle. These include:
- jumping a red light
- riding on the pavement
- using a mobile phone
- surpassing the E scooter speed limit
Electric Scooter Accidents
Due to the fact that E-scooters must meet the same standards as motor vehicles, if you have an accident involving an electric scooter then you may be able to make a claim. If the accident was caused by the person riding the electric scooter, then they may be to blame for the accident.
If you have an electric scooter accident as a passenger then you may be able to make a claim. This is because scooters are not legally allowed to be on public pavements, so they would be to blame for the accident. There are other examples where the person riding the scooter is uninsured or untraceable. In these cases, you may still be able to make a claim. The Motor Insurers’ Bureau was set up especially to deal with compensation claims for people who have had accidents involving uninsured or untraceable drivers.
How we can Help
Here at The Compensation Experts we work with solicitors who have years of experience dealing with all manner of personal injury claims. This includes electric scooter accidents and other types of road accidents. Contact us today by filling in our contact form. Or call us on 01614138765 to speak to one of our friendly knowledgeable advisors.