Safety campaigners and victims’ families are demanding urgent legal action as e-scooter collisions have trebled in the past three years, with fatalities and serious injuries also climbing alarmingly.

Between 2020 and 2023, there were 4,515 e-scooter collisions resulting in 29 deaths and 4,807 injuries, 1,402 of which were serious, according to a recent investigation. Privately owned e-scooters, capable of speeds up to 90mph when modified, remain illegal on public roads and pavements in the UK. However, they are widely available for purchase and often used unlawfully.

Families and Safety Groups Speak Out

Rebecca Williams, whose mother Linda Davis was the first pedestrian killed in an e-scooter collision, expressed frustration over the lack of regulation. “Everyone on an e-scooter should do compulsory basic training like on a motorbike, have insurance, pay tax, and have a registration plate so they can be traced if involved in an accident,” she said.

Linda Davis, a 71-year-old grandmother, died in Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, in 2022 after being struck by a 14-year-old on an e-scooter. The teenager, who was on his phone at the time, was sentenced to a community order. Ms Davis’s widower, Garry, criticised the government, stating, “The law stinks. If you or I were driving on the pavement in an uninsured car, we’d have been locked up.”

Calls for Better Regulation

Edmund King, president of the AA, described the rising incidents as a “worrying trend” and called for urgent legislation to regulate e-scooter speeds, brakes, and wheel sizes, as well as stricter controls on importing unsafe batteries that have been linked to fires.

The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) highlighted the dangers e-scooters pose to vulnerable groups, reporting that nearly a quarter of blind or partially sighted people have experienced a collision with one. Erik Matthies, RNIB policy officer, said: “They’re often ridden on pavements or left strewn in public places, posing a serious threat to walking safely.”

Statistics Highlight Escalating Concerns

The Department for Transport’s figures reveal that pedestrian injuries caused by e-scooters reached 525 between 2020 and 2023. London, with its high population density, recorded the highest number of incidents, with the Metropolitan Police responding to 586 collisions during the same period.

Collisions peaked in 2022, with 1,411 reported incidents, resulting in 12 fatalities and 1,502 injuries. The trend continued in 2023, with high-profile casualties such as Ian Hislop, 64, who suffered a head injury after being struck by an e-bike.

E-Scooter Trials Under Scrutiny

While privately owned e-scooters remain illegal on public roads, hire schemes have been trialled in select UK cities. These scooters, limited to 15.5mph and available to riders aged 16 and over with a provisional licence, have faced criticism over enforcement and the misuse of false identity documents. Concerns have also been raised about the vehicles being left on pavements, creating hazards for pedestrians.

Government Response

A government spokesperson stated: “We recognise the concerns around e-bikes and e-scooters, particularly for vulnerable groups, and we are closely following the e-scooter trials. Private e-scooters remain illegal on public roads, and trial e-scooters must meet construction standards.”

The call for action intensifies as campaigners, safety advocates, and victims’ families urge ministers to enforce stricter legislation to address this growing issue and safeguard all road users