E-Scooters Might Soon Be Zipping Around the UK

Electric scooters, which are stand-up scooters with an electric motor to propel them, are set to become legal on UK roads.

A report from The Times states that government ministers are expected to conduct a consultation in February about the best way to regulate the scooters and ensure safety for those using them.

It is likely that the scooters will be treated in a similar way to bicycles and will be allowed on roads and cycle lanes, but with their speeds capped at 15.5mph (approximately 25km/h.)

Following the government's consultation, e-scooters would be trialed in certain cities before being rolled out nationwide across the UK.

"We are considering this closely," George Freeman, a transport minister, tells The Times.

"The Department for Transport is committed to encouraging innovation in transport as well as improving road safety." A consultation on "micromobility devices" will come "in due course."

Despite their popularity on the streets of major cities such as London, electric scooters are not a legal mode of transportation.

In the UK, this is because e-scooters are classed as a "powered transporter" and would need to meet tax and safety standards set in the Road Traffic Act 1988 before being legally allowed on the road.

Moreover, the Highways Act (which dates, astoundingly, back to 1835) bans "mechanically propelled vehicles" from pavements, cycle paths, and public footpaths.

Any person caught riding one risks a £300 fine and points on their license, but riding on them is legal on private ground.

Similarly, e-scooters are banned in New York, despite widedspread public support for them, because of safety concerns.

While there are numerous e-scooter companies—including Bird, Lime, Skip, and Spin—that would love to expand to new markets, the safety concerns are troubling.

Injuries from riding an electric scooter can range from cuts and sprains to head trauma.

In Austin, Texas, a government study showed that 20 individuals were injured per 100,000 electric scooter trips taken.

On a city-wide scale, the existence of e-scooters could help dictate how your local area is built.

Many electric scooters have built-in GPS, as well as tracking how long and how far you've traveled via their companion apps.

For developers and businesses, that data could be valuable, and they're willing to pay electric scooter companies for it.

Electric scooters, which are stand-up scooters with an electric motor to propel them, are set to become legal on UK roads.

A report from The Times states that government ministers are expected to conduct a consultation in February about the best way to regulate the scooters and ensure safety for those using them.

It is likely that the scooters will be treated in a similar way to bicycles and will be allowed on roads and cycle lanes, but with their speeds capped at 15.5mph (approximately 25km/h.)

Following the government's consultation, e-scooters would be trialed in certain cities before being rolled out nationwide across the UK.

"We are considering this closely," George Freeman, a transport minister, tells The Times.

"The Department for Transport is committed to encouraging innovation in transport as well as improving road safety." A consultation on "micromobility devices" will come "in due course."

Despite their popularity on the streets of major cities such as London, electric scooters are not a legal mode of transportation.

In the UK, this is because e-scooters are classed as a "powered transporter" and would need to meet tax and safety standards set in the Road Traffic Act 1988 before being legally allowed on the road.

Moreover, the Highways Act (which dates, astoundingly, back to 1835) bans "mechanically propelled vehicles" from pavements, cycle paths, and public footpaths.

Any person caught riding one risks a £300 fine and points on their license, but riding on them is legal on private ground.

Similarly, e-scooters are banned in New York, despite widedspread public support for them, because of safety concerns.

While there are numerous e-scooter companies—including Bird, Lime, Skip, and Spin—that would love to expand to new markets, the safety concerns are troubling.

Injuries from riding an electric scooter can range from cuts and sprains to head trauma.

In Austin, Texas, a government study showed that 20 individuals were injured per 100,000 electric scooter trips taken.

On a city-wide scale, the existence of e-scooters could help dictate how your local area is built.

Many electric scooters have built-in GPS, as well as tracking how long and how far you've traveled via their companion apps.

For developers and businesses, that data could be valuable, and they're willing to pay electric scooter companies for it.