Newham Council is advising anyone who rides an e-scooter to follow some necessary safety precautions.
Accidents involving e-scooters are on the rise with a number of accidents tragically resulting in the death of the e-scooter rider.
Cllr James Asser, Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainable Transport said:
“The rule is you shouldn’t use an e-scooter on roads, cycle lanes and pavements. They are illegal.
“Often they aren’t safe and are dangerous to those riding them and to others on our streets.
“But e-scooters have become very popular and are now widely used despite the law, so if you do use an e-scooter we want you to do so safely.”
The advice is:
- Wear a helmet – a motorcycle helmet offers the best protection.
- Bright or reflective clothing should be worn.
- Wear a rear red light and display it at an appropriate height such as attached to a rucksack
- Don’t use a modified scooter.
- Make sure your scooter has a speed-restrictor.
In 2021 there were 1,280 collisions involving e-scooters, compared to 460 in 2020 with 1,359 casualties in collisions involving e-scooters, compared to 484 in 2020.
Tragically there were 9 people killed in collisions involving e-scooters in 2021 (all of whom were e-scooter riders) compared to 1 in 2020.
The Council wants roads to be safe for everyone. As part of building a fairer Newham we are committed to making our roads safer places by continuing to target dangerous driving and enforce parking rules across the borough, as well as launching a safety awareness campaign about electrical scooters and bikes. The campaign will launch late July.