E-Scooters - Would you use one?

[said]

What do you think of e-scooters to provide transport for short journeys?

Should people be allowed to choose whether to own their own scooter or should they be forced to 'Hire' them out?

Are e- scooters dangerous?

[Hamble]

Depends on the rider.

[jamyramy]

see there use cross towns stop an drops,across inner destinatios .but there very construction and stability they are very unstable when encountering sudden manouvers.totally uncontrollable ,a vry danger to there users,seen many now using them in traffic speedily .a mere road surface undulation or sudden hazzard a veritable disater waiting to happen its outcome dependant on fello road users observation and reactive avoidance measures taken. not the best travel vehicle safety wise.just a fun gizmo in the appropriate setting.

[MICK/GILLY]

I bought my young son one, he played with it off and on for a year up and down the pavement then on the smooth new surfaced park path then he got bored of it and his Xbox took over his attention.

[Ceam]

Like every mode of transport, It depends on who is controlling it.


Government, Councils, Police need to decide what they are doing though. How can you have councils hiring them out, While other users are getting up to 6 point on their licence (even before they have one).

Makes no sense what so ever.

Mean while you can have retro fitted electric bikes which are completely unregulated. Yet don't get a second glance from the police ATM.
48km/h
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392578116045?

How is this anything but an unregulated moped?

[SteveandLois]

Are the brakes strong enough for the rider to still be safe,especially if they have to stop in an emergency situation ? I personally would have the users have to do a drink and drug test,before being allowed to hire a council owned e-scooter,or have some kind of drivers licence and have either vehicle or Public Liability insurance,as you only need to insert a coin or card to hire them,and there are NO helmets for the users,so there are'nt any checks made on the user beforehand,and unless they do get stopped,or involved in any incident,are they to get fined and be made liable for any damage they cause to vehicles or injuries to a pedestrian.

[Desert Region]

E-scooters prove perfect for a quick trip to A&E

As London begins safety trials, study shows many riders end up in hospital, with one in 5 of the injured also over the drink drive limit

A quarter of people injured riding e-scooters were admitted to hospital, a new study has found, as researchers warned that too many were drunk or not wearing helmets.

Academics in Berlin found that one in five riders who came off the gadgets were over the legal drink drive limit and that only one in 100 was wearing a helmet.

The findings come as a new e-scooter trial area in London, where riders will be able to try their hand at riding the devices, was delayed in one area of the city at the last minute on Monday.

E-scooters are still banned in the UK, except on private land, but the Government is currently piloting special zones in a number of cities to gather evidence on how safe they are.

The study in the Emergency Medicine Journal, which is published by the British Medical Journal, looked at 248 patients treated at emergency rooms in Berlin, where the e-scooters are legal. Of those patients, 120 also filled out questionnaires about the circumstances surrounding their accident, which happened between June and December 2019.

The results, which constitute the largest European study of e-scooter accidents to date, found that one in four were injured so severely that they needed further hospital treatment, with 58 requiring surgery.

Riders who had been drinking were found to be far more likely to suffer serious head injuries, with 31 per cent sustaining traumatic brain injuries.

The study found that although the injured riders' ages ranged from five to 81, those aged 26 to 40 were the most likely to have crashes.

Almost half of those injured, 48 per cent, were tourists rather than Berlin natives, with the majority of accidents, 58 per cent, happening at the weekend.

The most common causes of accidents were riders falling off due to not paying attention, going too fast, attempting to ride one handed or to jump a kerb.

Five per cent of those injured were pedestrians who had been either hit by an e-scooter or tripped over one left in the pavements. Following the findings, Deniz Uluk, a doctoral student at Charité University in Berlin who led the study, called for tighter restrictions on riders when e-scooters are legalised for general use.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/202...quick-trip-ae/

Still, e-scooters do look fun!

[donkey22]

When and where can I ride an e-scooter legally?

Aren't e-scooters illegal?
The only e-scooters that can be used on public roads are those rented as part of government-backed trials.
If you own an e-scooter, you can only use it on private land and not on public roads, cycle lanes or pavements.
Why can't they be used on public roads?
Currently, there isn't a specific law for e-scooters so they are recognised as "powered transporters" - falling under the same laws and regulations as motor vehicles. They are subject to all the same legal requirements - MOT, tax, licensing and specific construction.
And so, because e-scooters don't always have visible rear red lights, number plates or signalling ability, that's why they can't be used legally on roads.
E-scooter trial in London, June 2021

Do I need a driving licence?
Yes. To use an e-scooter from an official trial, you need to have category Q entitlement on your driving licence.
Full/provisional UK driving licences with categories AM, A or B include category Q permissions.
If you have a provisional licence, you don't need L plates when using an e-scooter.
If you have an overseas provisional licence, learner permit or equivalent - you can't use an e-scooter.
UK government's non-GB licence checker
I've got my licence - can I hire one straight away?
No. In London you have to complete an online course first.
What about a helmet?
Cycle helmets are recommended, but not legally required.
Can you be prosecuted or fined?
Yes.
The Met Police say they will issue fines of £50 for riding on the footway - and £100 and six driving licence penalty points for using a mobile phone or riding through a red light.
E-scooter rider given ban for drink-driving
E-scooter students get road ban for drink-riding
Who supports legalising e-scooters?
The Transport Committee of MPs has called for e-scooters to be legalised on roads, but not pavements.
It says allowing wider use of e-scooters would:
Help people from poorer backgrounds avoid the cost of getting a driving licence
Often result in faster journey times than cars
Allow them to be used for deliveries in place of mopeds
The London Cycle Campaign (LCC) says e-scooters offer a "cleaner, low carbon alternative" for those who can't or don't want to cycle.
Unsurprisingly, manufacturers say e-scooters can improve mental health and balance. But the London Assembly found there could be a negative health benefits if e-scooters replaced walking or cycling.
E-scooter rentals in Slough, Berkshire

Are they dangerous?
The exact number of crashes involving e-scooters is said to be under-reported however Ch Supt Simon Ovens from the Met Police said the numbers were increasing "sharply".
In July 2019, TV presenter and YouTuber Emily Hartridge, 35, died when the e-scooter she was riding crashed due to an underinflated tyre. And Julian Thomas, 55, died when his e-scooter hit a parked car in September 2020.

Are e-scooters used to commit crimes?
There's concern that e-scooters are being used by criminal gangs.
E-scooters were involved 574 recorded crimes in London, such as robberies or assaults, between 1 July 2020 and 30 April 2021 - say the Met.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan says incidents involving e-scooters are "underreported", but work is being done with the police to ensure all incidents are addressed.
Caroline Pidgeon, a Lib Dem London Assembly member, is worried the "speed and nimbleness" of e-scooters now offer an attractive option for some criminals.
The needs of pedestrians and disabled people should "never be sacrificed", she says, and it is "vital" e-scooters are not ridden irresponsibly or left cluttered on pavements.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48106617

[Alikado]

The problem is the criminality that is behind a lot of the E Scooter and E Bike use, they provide a quick getaway.

[Ceam]

The problem is the criminality that is behind a lot of the E Scooter and E Bike use, they provide a quick getaway.

lol

[Hamble]

The problem is the criminality that is behind a lot of the E Scooter and E Bike use, they provide a quick getaway.

[The PNP]

Like every mode of transport, It depends on who is controlling it.

Government, Councils, Police need to decide what they are doing though. How can you have councils hiring them out, While other users are getting up to 6 point on their licence (even before they have one).

Agree.....Fact is, they're in the shops and people are buying them and using them in increasing numbers. I even saw one flying along a towpath recently!

Imo, they should remain banned on pavements, except in specific zones where Councils allow them. I'd put them into the same legal category as e-bikes, allowing their use on cycle-tarmac and roads. I would do the same with those two-wheeled segue machines.

Banning scooters because they make a good getaway device for criminals doesn't really add up. Bikes and cars are also used to carry out crimes, but it would be ridiculous to ban those because criminals happen to use them.


.

[silver fox]

Agree.....Fact is, they're in the shops and people are buying them and using them in increasing numbers. I even saw one flying along a towpath recently!

Imo, they should remain banned on pavements, except in specific zones where Councils allow them. I'd put them into the same legal category as e-bikes, allowing their use on cycle-tarmac and roads. I would do the same with those two-wheeled segue machines.

Banning scooters because they make a good getaway device for criminals doesn't really add up. Bikes and cars are also used to carry out crimes, but it would be ridiculous to ban those because criminals happen to use them.


.

Very rarely are cars used in street crime, the favoured transports are scooters, m/bikes, e/bikes/scooters and the good old push bike, you were saying.

[The PNP]

Very rarely are cars used in street crime, the favoured transports are scooters, m/bikes, e/bikes/scooters and the good old push bike, you were saying.

They are used for ram-raiding, etc. For shipping wholesale quantities of drugs up motorways. By gangs making a getaway from robbed banks, etc.....Back in the day, the Jag was a favourite for that type of 'job' because it could give the cops a good run for their money.

Scooters, bikes etc, appear to be mode of choice for small-time stuff like bag/phone snatching and shop stickups......However, I'd doubt your average Mr, Big would be seen dead on a moped. He'll more likely be in something flash and high-powered.

[silver fox]

They are used for ram-raiding, etc. For shipping wholesale quantities of drugs up motorways. By gangs making a getaway from robbed banks, etc.....Back in the day, the Jag was a favourite for that type of 'job' because it could give the cops a good run for their money.

Scooters, bikes etc, appear to be mode of choice for small-time stuff like bag/phone snatching and shop stickups......However, I'd doubt your average Mr, Big would be seen dead on a moped. He'll more likely be in something flash and high-powered.

I said street crime, the Mr Bigs of criminals set out not to be seen at all.