Ambulance callouts to e-scooter accidents soar by as much as 700 PERCENT in just 12 months as Grant Shapps suggests government will legalise them just two years after the tragic death of YouTube star Emily Hartridge
- A&E medics have noticed a rise in the number of e-scooter riders seeking help
- Only e-scooters involved in official trials can be used legally on the road
- YouTube star Emily Hartridge was the first person killed on an e-scooter in 2020
- Despite the danger, the Government is planning to legalise them later this year
Ambulance calls relating to e-scooter incidents have jumped by 700 per cent over the past 12 months, new figures have shown.
And the number of e-scooter accident patients needing emergency A&E care has also soared by 40 per cent, with 173 needing emergency care last year compared to just 124 in 2020.
Highlighting not only their potential danger but also their increasing numbers, a Freedom of Information request to NHS Ambulance Trusts unearthed an alarming 82 per cent average rise in call-outs to e-scooter-related crashes.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed that the number of ambulance calls from e-scooter riders seeking treatment has jumped by some 700 per cent over the past 12 months (pictured an e-scooter seized yesterday in Worcestershire)
A 30-year-old woman had an e-scooter seized by police who also had her 7-year-old son aboard
The woman is likely to receive 6 penalty points and a £300 fine for riding without insurance
TV presenter Emily Hartridge was the first person believed to have died on an e-scooter on British roads when she collided with a truck in Battersea in July 2020
But Northern Ireland and the North West of England saw the largest increase – with a 700 per cent and 200 per cent increase respectively between 2020 and 2021.
TV presenter Emily Hartridge is believed to be the first person in the UK killed on an e-scooter after she collided with a truck in Battersea, south London in July 2020.
An inquest into her death heard the YouTube star was riding the scooter too fast. An examination of the scooter found it had an under inflated tyre, which contributed to the crash.
The FoI by the Major Trauma Group comes amid claims that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps may legalise private e-scooters for use on all the nation’s roads for the first time in history in the Queen’s Speech next month.
There are currently an estimated 750,000 illegal e-scooters being used on British roads.
E-scooters can currently only be used on England’s roads if they are part of trials of rental schemes, which involve safety features such as maximum speeds of 15.5mph and automatic lights.
Those that are privately owned are legally restricted for use on private land, but are a common sight in towns and cities.
Mr Shapps told the Commons Transport Select Committee that ‘in the future I want to crack down on the illegal use on roads of non-compliant e-scooters’.
Committee member Simon Jupp said there have been ‘900 collisions, 11 of which were fatal’.
Despite Ms Hartridge’s death, people continued to use e-scooters on the same junction where she lost her life
Despite being illegal, the number of emergency calls relating to e-scooter incidents is increasing
Although, transport secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed that legislation relating to e-scooters will form part of the Queen’s Speech next month. He told MPs: ‘We will take powers to properly regulate and then be able to decide the usage of them. They’re a reality, they exist’
He expressed concern that Mr Shapps’ comments indicate the Department for Transport (DfT) is considering allowing private e-scooters to be used on roads as long as they meet similar safety specifications as those in the trials.
Mr Shapps replied: ‘We will take powers to properly regulate and then be able to decide the usage of them.
‘They’re a reality, they exist.’
Earlier this year Britain’s top road traffic lawyer Nick ‘Mr Loophole’ Freeman warned that e-scooters are ‘an appalling’ risk to people’s lives – and has demanded a stricter licensing system for e-scooter riders.
He cited worrying data has revealed that from January-to-October 2021 there were nine deaths involving e-scooters, and 300 serious injuries.
Now the Major Trauma Groups mass FoI request into ambulance callouts also reveals an increase in numbers – with 713 e-scooter related accidents in 2021, up from 2020’s figure of 392.
With each ambulance call out costing the NHS £252, this increase in e-scooter-related ambulance callouts has increased from £98,784 to £179,676 in just one year.
Worryingly, all Ambulance Trusts that responded to the freedom of information request saw an increase in the number of e-scooter accidents attended, raising further questions about public safety.
The Major Trauma Group is now urging the Government take action to educate riders and impose equal safety standards on all e-scooter users.
They are also supporting recent calls to bring forward legislation to create a new powered light vehicle class in the UK.
The Major Trauma Group aims to reduce the burden on the NHS’ finances and stretched resources and at the same time recover valuable funds under the NHS injury cost recovery scheme.
Trevor Sterling, Chair of the Major Trauma Group, said: ‘With rumours that the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps may legalise private e-scooters for use on roads during this year’s Queen’s Speech on May 10, and with e-scooters set to continue increasing in popularity this year, it is essential that we address the serious safety concerns arising from e-scooter trials for the safety of all roads users.
‘We must therefore bridge the gap in knowledge of the legal status of privately owned e-scooters and push for all types of e-scooters to be legal, with stricter safety standards implemented.
‘While e-scooter owners are likely to be aware that it is illegal to ride a privately owned scooter thanks to advice from vendors, there are very few e-scooter users aware of the full criteria for legal use.
‘Factors such as having a driving license and age also play into the legality of e-scooter use and more must be done to raise awareness of this, together with awareness of possible sanctions.
‘E-transport technology is very exciting and will support the UK in our efforts to reduce carbon emissions, and a change in the law would hold e-scooters to a high standard of safety and help to lower greenhouse gas emissions from transport, as well as cutting congestion and repurposing streets away from cars.
‘It is only when all types of e-scooters are subject to the same standard of safety that we will see a reduction in preventable incidents.’
Hirra Khan Adeogun, Head of Car Free Cities at climate charity Possible, said: ‘If these statistics reveal anything it is how we rapidly need to legalise e-scooters to implement vehicle standards and provide rider education.
‘Only then can e-scooters become a functional tool for urban mobility and decarbonising transport in our cities – they slash carbon emissions, are more energy and fuel efficient, and can expand access to public transport.
‘Legalising them will ensure that they are both safe and welcomed by communities across the country.’
Can you legally use an e-scooter on the road or on the pavement?
According to the Department of Transport, e-scooters are classed as ‘powered transporters’ and meet the legal definition of a ‘motor vehicle’.
They must therefore meet a number of requirements in order to be used on the road, including having insurance and conforming to ‘technical standards.’
Privately owned e-scooters are considered illegal to use on roads in Britain. The Metropolitan Police has said riders risk being fined or even having penalty points added to their licence. Riders also risk having their e-scooters seized by police.
In May 2019, the Metropolitan Police ran an operation in London seizing e-scooters which were being illegally used on the city’s streets
The Met has warned e-scooter users from riding their machines on the road
The Department of Transport said e-scooters are covered by the 1988 Road Traffic Act, which also includes Segways, hoverboards, go-peds (combustion engine-powered kick scooters), powered unicycles, and u-wheels.
The ban does not apply to electrically-assisted pedal bicycles.
According to the Department of Transport: ‘For motor vehicles to use public roads lawfully, they must meet a number of different requirements. These include insurance; conformity with technical standards and standards of use; payment of vehicle tax, licensing, and registration; driver testing and licensing; and the use of relevant safety equipment.
‘If the user of a powered transporter could meet these requirements, it might in principle be lawful for them to use public roads. However, it is likely that they will find it very difficult to comply with all of these requirements, meaning that it would be a criminal offence to use them on the road.’
In July 2020 the UK Government introduced legislation trialling the use of e-scooters, through local authorities, for a period of 12 months via approved rental companies. The vehicles are capped at 15.5mph. Some 32 locations are involved in the trial. Privately owned e-scooters cannot be used in the trial areas.
Privately owned e-scooters can be used on private land with the landowner’s permission.
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