Spotlight on e-scooters for Injury Prevention Week

APIL is calling for enforced speed restrictions on e-scooters and compulsory helmets for riders ahead of an anticipated Government consultation* on legalising privately-owned e-scooters.

The group is dedicating its annual Injury Prevention Week (starting 27 June) to e-scooter safety.

“Only e-scooters in rental schemes are legal to ride in public places currently. Casualties in collisions reported to the police are up 181 per cent** in a year and we’ve not even had the potential influx of new e-scooters on the roads yet,” said APIL president John McQuater.

Injury Prevention Week is a cornerstone of APIL’s strategic aim to build public support for and awareness of the need to prevent needless injuries.

The event comes after the death of a pedestrian who was hit by a private e-scooter being ridden illegally in Nottingham, where the association is based.

“These forward-thinking measures could go a long way to preventing needless, and sometimes life-changing, injuries and deaths,” he said. “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 but measures need to be in place to make sure that tampering with the e-scooter’s speed capabilities after purchase won’t be tolerated,” he went on.

“We are urging the Government to enforce a minimum rider age of 16, to tie in with the law for riding a moped. And if someone does not already have a full or provisional driving licence, they should be subject to a compulsory proficiency test,” John explained.

“Education and training about e-scooters should be included as part of the motor driving test. All road users need to be clear about safe passing distances and rights of way.

“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.

“APIL also believes that insurance should be compulsory so that when the worst happens, those who are injured are able to gain access to compensation,” John concluded.