Man using e-scooter left needing surgery after head-on crash with car
Police are reminding people it's illegal to ride a privately owned one in public places
Officers were called to Henfords Marsh in Warminster around 6:30pm on Sunday (4th July) after an e-scooter had crashed head on into a car.
The rider, a 47 year old man, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of drink driving after providing a positive specimen of breath before being taken to hospital.
He'd suffered mulitiple fractures to his leg which required surgery.
The e-scooter was seized by police.
At the hospital the rider was de-arrested but has been reported for traffic offences.
The incident has prompted a stern reminder from Police about the use of e-scooters which have grown in popularity.
E-scooters are Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) - it means they can only be ridden on private land and are treated the same as motor vehicles in the eyes of the law.
Only those used in government trials can be ridden on a public road or pavement and must be registered with the DVLA, licensed, taxed, insured and fitted with number plates.
Inspector Pete Sparrow said,
"Despite repeatedly highlighting the law around these e-scooters, there remains a complacency where an element of the public consider that the current law does not apply to them. We are aware that some areas of the country are trialling the use of e-scooters which are hired. In these cases they are hired with the suitable checks of drivers license and come with tax and insurance. We have no such trials in the Wiltshire area and so the only place they can be ridden without the law applying is on private land. We will apply the law as it currently stands and not hypothesise on any potential changes to the law."
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