YOUNG people across Warwickshire are being asked to cross escooters off their Christmas lists.
It is currently illegal to ride a privately owned escooter in any public place and Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership warned there are serious implications for young people who break the law by using one, as well as their parents.
The current penalty for riding an escooter on the road or in any public place is three points on a driving licence and a £100 fine. If the rider is too young to hold a licence at the time of the offence, then the points can be added to their licence later when they apply for one.
An escooter is not a toy. It is defined as a motor vehicle so like the driver of a car, people need a licence, insurance, tax and MOT. This means if anyone under 16 is caught riding an escooter on a road or in a public space, it could affect them when applying for a driving licence and even worse if they are involved in a collision, the parent could also be prosecuted for allowing them to ride it.
Warwickshire Police Inspector Jem Mountford said “Not only are escooters illegal, we are extremely concerned for the safety of those using them. In Warwickshire, we have received reports of more than one rider on an escooter at a time and reports of parents with very young children on the escooter with them, being taken to school, which is extremely dangerous.
“Nationally in 2022 there were 1,369 collisions involving escooters resulting in 1,458 casualties and 12 fatalities. We have seen an increase in both collisions and injuries in Warwickshire but this could be just the tip of the iceberg as we know collisions are being under reported.”
Warwickshire County Council’s road safety education team has been engaging with primary and secondary schools across the county, raising awareness of the current law on escooters.
Operations are also planned by local safer neighbourhood teams to help educate young people.
