Thames Valley police warn parents against E-scooter usage
A crackdown could see them being fined £300 if their kids use the vehicles
Last updated 21st Nov 2023
Parents could be fined up to £300 and given points on their licence for allowing their children to use e-scooters, a top police boss has warned.
A crackdown on e-scooters is coming according to Thames Valley Police’s Jason Hogg as he warned the force could start prosecuting parents in January, and start confiscating e-scooters – which are illegal to use on roads or pavements – ‘very, very shortly’.
Chief constable Hogg said: “I’m sure there’ll be people riding e-scooters who don’t know they are illegal – full stop.
“We are going to be moving to enforcement very, very quickly. We are going to be prosecuting the parents for no insurance – for use, cause, permit – in January and we will be seizing a lot of these scooters very, very shortly.”
Mr Hogg also said Thames Valley Police will soon begin a publicity campaign urging parents not to buy e-scooters ahead of Christmas.
Privately owned e-scooters are effectively illegal to use in public. Just like cars, the driver needs to have a licence, insurance and tax to drive one on Britain’s roads, and they’re not allowed on the pavement.
But Thames Valley Police says that as it’s not currently possible to get insurance for privately-owned e-scooters, ‘it’s illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces’.
The only exception is for e-scooters hired as part of a rental scheme approved by the local council.
The penalty is the same as for driving without insurance – £300 and six points on your licence or an unlimited fine and disqualification if the case goes to court.
Parents of children caught using the scooters could be charged as it is also illegal to “cause or permit” another person to drive on the road without insurance.
Mr Hogg said: “You can’t drive them on the road or on the pavement unless it’s part of a council-accredited scheme, and you would need a driving license, insurance and a helmet – and you can’t get insurance for an e-scooter.”
The Thames Valley Police chief issued the warning on Thursday, November 16, as he faced questions at Wokingham Borough Council.
However, he also suggested that police may be cautious when deciding whether to pursue people. Two teenagers Kyrees Sullivan and Harvey Evans died in an e-bike crash while being police in Ely, South Wales, in May this year.
Another teenager Saul Cookson also died in an e-bike crash while being chased by police in Salford, Greater Manchester, in June.
Pointing to the two incidents, Mr Hogg said: “There are two high-profile cases – one in South Wales and one in Salford – where officers are being investigated having tried to pursue those on a scooter.
“I am not prepared to put my officers in a situation where they lose their livelihood and where they are effectively prosecuted.”