Calls for Enforced E-Scooter Speed Limits

The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) is calling for mandatory speed restrictions on e-scooters and the requirement for helmets to be worn when using one as part of the consultation process on their use.

The anticipated Government consultation is designed to explore the possibility of making privately owned e-scooters legal to own and use in public places, as currently they can only be used on private land with the express consent of the landowner.

Many cities across the UK are conducting trials whereby people can hire e-scooters and use them on UK roads and cycle lanes but not on pavements.

APIL president John McQuater said: “Casualties in collisions reported to the police are up 181 percent in a year and we’ve not even had the potential influx of new e-scooters on the roads yet.

“These forward-thinking measures could go a long way to preventing needless, and sometimes life-changing, injuries and deaths.

“This is not just about the riders, as a quarter of injuries involving e-scooters are suffered by pedestrians and other road users.

“E-scooters in the rental schemes are limited to a top speed of 12.5mph. This should be the same for ones owned privately. It also needs to be a requirement to wear a helmet. Head injuries, along with broken bones, are the most common types of injuries in e-scooter collisions.”

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