In recent years, there has been steady growth in the UK’s number of people using e-scooters. That’s because, like everything else in our high-tech world, the simple scooter has been replaced by the electric scooter or e-scooter. Are E-scooters Legal in the UK? See our answers below.
The e-scooter is a new type of personal transportation that looks like a scooter but is powered by an engine and can go up to 20 km/h on average. It also has a more oversized frame and thicker wheels than a scooter.
More people have resorted to commuting with e-scooters instead of public transportation or driving their cars. But there are laws governing the use of e-scooters, and in the UK, these laws change quickly, so it’s essential to know the rules.
Before you put on your helmet and hop on your e-scooter, here’s what you need to know about the law in the UK regarding electric scooters.
Can I Own an E-scooter in the UK? Are E-scooters Legal in the UK?
The answer is yes; owning an e-scooter in the UK is legal. However, under UK law, e-scooters are considered “powered transporters,” along with hoverboards and electric unicycles.
This means you can’t use them on sidewalks, bike lanes, or pedestrian-only areas. Instead, you can only use your new scooter on your property.
Technically, you could use an e-scooter on public roads if you could register, tax, and insure it like a car, but this is not possible currently. Also, if you misuse an e-scooter, you could get a fine, a points deduction on your license, or an impoundment of your scooter.
Why is It Currently Illegal to Use Electric Scooters on Roads and Pavements?
The government currently classifies electric scooters as “powered transporters,” meaning they are subject to the same rules and regulations that apply to other cars.
This implies that they are illegal to use on pavements, cycle lanes, and pedestrian-only areas, and they would only be legal to use on public roads if they met the exact requirements as motor vehicles (e.g., insurance, tax, license, registration, and vehicle construction), which is nearly impossible in practice.
But, there has been talking about creating legislation that expressly addresses electric scooters, so there seem to be significant advances coming soon, especially with the current rental experiments.
Will E-scooters be Legal Soon?
The government is now conducting many e-scooter experiments nationwide utilizing rental scooters. These trials were put up to help the government to establish the safest way to legalize scooters.
The studies analyze user data to see how popular electric scooters are and any safety hazards or drawbacks. Because of the COVID-19 epidemic, the scale of these trials was raised since e-scooters are considered a viable alternative to public transportation.
The trials were initially scheduled to last 12 months, beginning in August 2020. On the other hand, local governments that participated in the current practices were originally supposed to continue the plan through November 30, 2022.
Local governments who wish to continue the experiments have been given another extension, this time until the end of May 2024. This comes after a TRO (Traffic Regulation Order) was issued in August 2022.
The publication E-scooters: The Road Ahead, released in July 2022, goes into further depth regarding the data collected.
Current E-scooter Trial Areas
The electric scooter trial is currently running in the following areas:
- Newcastle
- North and West Northamptonshire (Northampton, Kettering, Corby, and Wellingborough)
- Solent (Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton)
- Somerset West (Taunton and Minehead)
- North Devon (Barnstaple)
- West Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry, and Sandwell)
- West of England Combined Authority (Bristol and Bath)
- York
- South Somerset (Yeovil)
- Staffordshire (Stafford and Newcastle-Under-Lyme)
- Sunderland
- Oxfordshire (Oxford)
- Redditch
- Rochdale
- Bournemouth and Poole
- Buckinghamshire (Aylesbury, High Wycombe, and Princes Risborough)
- Cambridge
- North Lincolnshire (Scunthorpe)
- Norwich
- Salford
- Slough
- Tees Valley (Hartlepool and Middlesbrough)
- Cheshire West and Chester (Chester)
- Copeland (Whitehaven)
- Derby
- Essex (Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Chelmsford, and Colchester)
- Gloucestershire (Cheltenham and Gloucester)
- Great Yarmouth
- Kent (Canterbury)
- Liverpool
- Milton Keynes
- Nottingham
Current Safety Rules for E-scooter Use on Roads
As part of the trial, you must follow some rules if renting an e-scooter. Here are some of them:
- One person can only use e-scooters simultaneously; you can’t carry others.
- You can’t use your cell phone while riding an electric scooter.
- Do not ride if you are drunk or high. If you do, you could be charged with careless or dangerous driving.
- Ensure your bags or luggage are safe and don’t harm you or anyone else.
- Your trial e-scooter can only be used in the area where the trial is taking place.
- Rental e-scooters can’t be used for towing.
- Before renting an e-scooter, read the rental company’s rules.
If privately owned electric scooters are allowed to be used on public roads, these safety rules are likely to apply still. Although, this could change in the future.
Do You Need Insurance for an Electric Scooter?
Since electric scooters are currently considered PLEVs, you would need insurance to use one on the road. If they are reclassified, this could change.
If this is made legal, you would need insurance to ride your e-scooter on the road because of how the law is written now. The e-scooter rentals currently part of the trial also provide insurance for the e-scooters.
However, you can only get insurance for an electric scooter if they are legal.
Do You Need a Driver’s Licence for an Electric Scooter?
To ride an e-scooter on the road, you would need a full license, just like you would need insurance. If the trials are successful and electric scooters are made legal, you will need a permit for that kind of vehicle. You’ll also have to wear a helmet and other required safety gear.
As part of the trials going on all over the country, e-scooter riders must have a license that lets them drive in the Q category. This is part of a valid full license and a provisional license in the UK for vehicles in the AM, A, and B categories.
On the government website, you can find out more about how to get a permit to drive an e-scooter.
