KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
police rammed a 13-year-old off his bike, causing him to slide over the bonnet.
But despite the dangers, the risk of injury and the risk of prosecution, their use continues to increase. More and more children are seen riding them on the roads and all drivers will have their own tales to tell of near misses with an e-scooter.
What is the future of e-bikes?
Earlier this year, Transport Minister Heidi Alexander announced plans to overhaul the UK’s e-scooter legislation, making private e-scooters legal with new safety regulations.
manner of traffic offence can be committed whilst riding them. That means if you decide to ride an e-scooter home from the pub having had a drink or three, you could be prosecuted for drink driving and see your licence disqualified for 12 months or even end up in prison!
Why are they so dangerous?
Notwithstanding the riders risking prosecution putting their licences and often their livelihoods at risk, there has also been a sharp increase of accidents over the last few years.
The Guardian reported in May that nearly 500 people were injured in Great Britain last year. This year in Belfast, a senior doctor reported that more than 120 children have been treated for e-bike injuries in the last 24 months. With more bikes and scooters on the road, these figures are only likely to increase.
But that’s not the only reason. These are essentially fast vehicles that are easy to ride and nearly impossible to control. Unless they’re official e-scooters as part of the inner city schemes, they have no registration plates so they can’t be detected. That makes them extremely easy to use for criminal activity – whether that be for drugs or to try to get around a disqualification from driving.
Being small and nimble also makes them incredibly difficult for the police to pull over, which can lead to devastating consequences. We all remember the riots in Wales in 2023 when two teenagers were killed after being knocked off their e-bike by police. A similar incident could have occurred in January this year when
PHTM AUGUST 2026
The new rules were set to bring in much-needed control and safety standards by regulating their use and making all scooters identifiable through registration plates. Parameters were going to be introduced to regulate safety features, such as mandatory lights for visibility, specific braking systems and hardware that limits top speeds, and riders were to be made subject to the same rules, regulations and offences under the Road Traffic Act.
No news has been forthcoming, however, about whether this new legislation will continue under the new government. Nor have there been any plans announced as to when we can expect this new law to come into effect.
The government must find parliamentary time for the bill to be debated and voted into law, and at the moment, there is no indication as to when this will be.
Until these new laws come in, when can I ride my e-scooter?
Short answer: you cannot. Unless it is an EAPC, a mobility vehicle or a specifically registered e-scooter used as part of the government rental scheme, the use of e-bikes and e-scooters remains illegal in the UK and they cannot be ridden on a road or any other place to which the public has access.
If you have any questions about traffic law, please contact us for free legal advice on 01626 359800 or by email at
advice@pattersonlaw.co.uk
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