Questions raised over whether Derbyshire police are doing enough to protect the public from e-scooters

Serious questions have been raised over whether Derbyshire police are doing enough to protect the public by stopping e-scooter riders illegally using the county’s roads. It is not currently possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters, which means it’s illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces.

Information obtained from the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) showed the force had seized 46 illegal e-scooters between January 2022 and July 2023.

E-scooter safety campaigner Sarah Gayton has labelled the figure “extremely low” and called for the police force to take more action “to get these dangerous machines off the streets”.

However, the force has said in response that it has issued serious penalties across the county and will continue to do so.

Earlier this summer, the LDRS filed a Freedom of Information request to Derbyshire police. It specifically asked for the number of illegal e-scooters seized in the county and their locations and how many e-scooter riders had been finedwithin a 12-month period.

The force’s answers to the request showed that between January 2022 and July 2023 only 46 e-scooters were seized by officers. The force could not reveal the locations of the seizures.

Derbyshire police said it was unable to answer the question about how many e-scooter riders had been fined. The force said that obtaining fines data in relation to “scooters” would take too much time for its officers to compile and “the cost of complying with the request would exceed the appropriate limit”.

According to Derbyshire police’s website, anyone who does not have a licence, or the correct licence, or is riding e-scooters without insurance is at risk of being fined. These include a £300 fine for having no insurance and up to a £100 fine for riding without the correct licence. Penalties can also be given for riding on a pavement (£50 fine), using a mobile phone or other handheld mobile device while riding (£200 fine), riding through red lights (£100 fine) and drink driving/riding – the same penalties as if driving a car – fines, prosecution and possible prison sentence.

Ms Gayton, who has long been calling for the sale of e-scooters to be banned as part of her role for the UK’s National Federation of the Blind, said the fact Derbyshire police could not answer how many illegal e-scooter riders had been fined was “extremely worrying”.

She said: “E-scooters are extremely dangerous and many are ridden on footpaths, on pavements, on pedestrian-only spaces and at people when they are trying to cross the road. Blind, visually impaired, older and vulnerable pedestrians, like small children, are not safe with these e-scooters whizzing around on pedestrian spaces like pavements.

“The number of e-scooters confiscated appears extremely low and I would encourage the police to take further action to get these dangerous machines off the streets. The Government needs to ditch any plans it has of making private e-scooters legal as it has shown, with the rented e-scooters which are legalised, the police will never keep them on off the pavements or be able to regulate them safely.”

Derbyshire police said its officers are tough with e-scooter riders and strong punishments have been issued across the county. But the force added riders would be given “a reasonable chance” to change their behaviour in the first instance.

A spokesperson said: “As a force we have always tried to educate people where they can and cannot use e-scooters and officers will, in the first instance, explain the law to ensure that people are given a reasonable chance to change their behaviour. However, in instances where the behaviour is clearly dangerous, or there are other aggravating circumstances, then officers will take positive action against those using e-scooters illegally – this includes seizing the vehicle.

“While officers may not utilise the specific laws around using a scooter in every instance, riders have been charged with offences under the Road Traffic Act (such as riding without a licence and insurance) which attract serious penalties. We would urge anyone who has an e-scooter to ensure they use it in accordance with the law, and reiterate to parents and carers of children and young people, that young people found riding e-scooters could face very serious criminal charges if they use a privately owned scooter in public.”