Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Gary Godden has urged parents not to buy their children e-scooters this Christmas – as they could be inadvertently gifting them a motoring offence.
Privately owned e-scooters are illegal to use on public roads, pavements, and cycle lanes, and anyone caught using them could receive six points on their driving licence – which could mean an automatic driving ban for new drivers.
Illegal riders could also face a £300 fine and have their e-scooter seized by police and crushed.
Parents and road users are also being urged to be aware of the law on e-bikes, because if they can travel at over 15.5 mph without pedal assistance, they are classed as motorbikes and would therefore need the vehicle to be registered and insured, and for the rider to have a driving licence and helmet.
PCC Godden has today launched an awareness-raising campaign in the run-up to Christmas to highlight the law to anyone who is still unsure – and warned those who flout the law that police are geared up to take enforcement action to keep the streets of Nottinghamshire safe.
“The illegal use of e-scooters and e-bikes is an issue that causes a great deal of concern for people, particularly in the city but also in towns across Nottinghamshire,” said PCC Godden.
“I fully support the view that private e-scooters and illegal e-bikes have no place on our roads, as they can be dangerous to pedestrians and road users, and the riders themselves, as well as being antisocial and even frightening and intimidating when they hurtle along on what should be safe public spaces.
“Many people will have had their own experiences of seeing e-bikes and e-scooters being ridden dangerously and, unfortunately, there have been a number of serious injuries and fatalities involving these vehicles in Nottinghamshire.
“I know that there are still some people out there who may not be aware of the subtle difference in the laws on e-bikes and e-scooters, and for those people, I want to help raise awareness.
“I am asking any parents thinking of buying their children an e-scooter or e-bike for Christmas to be ‘e-smart’ and take responsibility for reading up on the law – because if you don’t, you could be inadvertently gifting your child a motoring offence or even putting them at risk of serious injury.
“If you cause serious harm to another person while riding an e-bike or e-scooter, the incident will be investigated in the same way as if you were riding a motorcycle or driving a car.
“My message to anyone who fails to obey the law is that Nottinghamshire Police are ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with local communities and take action to seize illegal vehicles and prosecute riders.”
PCC Godden urged people to report issues to their neighbourhood policing teams, who are dedicated to working with residents to put problem-solving plans in place – and reporting incidents helps them gather the necessary information to put resources in the right place at the right time to have an impact.
“Please don’t assume that someone else has reported it, or that the police don’t care about e-bikes and e-scooters,” said PCC Godden.
“If it matters to local people, it matters to us, and the police will work with you to tackle problem areas and protect local residents.
“A number of recent police operations have already taken place where e-bikes and e-scooters were seized, and there are currently a number of neighbourhood policing teams who have identified this issue among their top three priorities.
“Wherever issues are identified through reporting, the police will try to educate people and enforce the law against those who break it.”
One of the most prevalent areas for illegal e-scooter and e-bike use is Nottingham city centre, due to the high numbers of people who travel there.
Sergeant Dan Butler has been leading efforts by the City Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team to tackle this issue.
He said: “This is an issue we are taking extremely seriously in the city centre, and our teams are being very robust in their actions towards the use of these illegal bikes and e-scooters.
“We have been really proactive with policing this issue because members of the public have reached out to us on a regular basis about their concerns.
“There are safety issues with them being ridden in pedestrianised areas, not taking notice of red traffic light signals, and generally being a nuisance and a menace to our city centre communities and people who are using the city.
“Rest assured they are going to be interacted with by the police. The police are going to speak to them, take their details, and their e-bike or e-scooter will be seized, and they will face the consequences of being reported for summons, or being issued with a traffic offence report form, which could result in them going to court.”
