Thames Valley Police clampdown on e-scooters

Thames Valley Police has released statistics on their activity from the last three months involving e-scooters and illegal e-bikes.

Since 1 June this year, Thames Valley Police seized 118 e-scooters and e-bikes, with 21 of these seizures occurring since the beginning of September.

It is illegal to ride a privately owned electric scooter in public spaces, including on the road. Those who are found to be riding privately owned e-scooters in public risk receiving a large fine, points on their driving licence and seizure of their e-scooter.

To be legal, an e-bike has to comply with legislation and the rider must be over the age of 14, for more details on this go to Electric bikes: licensing, tax and insurance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Officers often receive complaints from members of the public around the misuse of these vehicles, due to riders driving carelessly and at excessive speeds. This causes significant risks to both the rider and pedestrians, as well as others using the road network or footpaths.

Unfortunately, over the past couple of weeks Police say they've seen two serious incidents involving e-scooters in the Thames Valley, demonstrating why tackling this issue is so important.

There was an incident on Binfield Road, Bracknell on Sunday 1 September, where a boy in his teens sustained serious injuries. Whilst riding his e-scooter he swerved to avoid the opening door of a parked van and collided with a lamppost.

There was also an incident at the junction of Avebury Boulevard and Witan Gate, Milton Keynes on Friday 6 September, where a woman in her sixties was struck by someone riding an e-scooter and sustained serious head injuries.

Inappropriate

Community Policing Command Inspector Mike Darrah said:

“Dangerous, illegal, and inappropriate use of both e-scooters and e-bikes poses serious risks in the community and is something the public continue to rightly raise to us as a concern.

“These stats highlight the progress we are making in dealing with this issue but as the incidents of the past couple of weeks in different areas of the force show, there is still a lot more work to do.

“Through both seizing vehicles that are being used illegally and continuing to educate people on the laws, preventing offences, our communities will be safer.”

Seizing vehicles is only one part of the response, there is also ongoing education work that neighbourhood officers do in schools and with parents to generate awareness that private e-scooters can only be used on private land, with the land owner’s permission, to try and prevent illegal use or to inform those thinking of buying one.

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