London is country’s e-scooter accident blackspot

Londoners accounted for more than two thirds (68%) of all recorded injuries nationwide involving e-scooters, according to newly released data from the Department for Transport.

The figures, sourced by Quotezone.co.uk under a freedom of information request, cover 2018 and 2019 and show that men between 25-64 make up half of all casualties.  Men also account for 80% of all injured e-scooter riders.

The first ever UK e-scooter related fatality occurred in May 2019 in Battersea. There were 56 other accidents recorded over the two years involving e-scooters, 16 were noted as serious.

As e-scooters are relatively new to the UK the data is not substantial enough yet to fully understand the impact of these devices.  In America, however, e-scooters have been part of rental schemes since 2012.  The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission found that A&E visits involving e-scooters doubled from 15,000 in 2018 to 27,700 a year later. Fatalities stood at 27 from 2017-19, but were expected to rise as the figures are not finalised. Similar to the UK, the he US data showed 58% of e-scooter  injuries involved men over 25.

E-scooters are also known as motorised scooters and are a type of Personal Light Electric Vehicle (PLEV). They are powered stand-up scooters that use a small engine, usually powered by an electric motor with some capable of exceeding 30mph. Halfords predicts UK sales could soar 30% annually on current yearly sales of around 50,000 units, as they have the potential to provide a cheap, greener and socially distanced way to travel.

There could be further growth in sales if organisations such as the London Cycle Campaign prevail in their efforts to get e-scooters legalised and allowed on cycle tracks.

Responding to the data, Greg Wilson founder of motoring, motorbike, and bicycle insurance comparison websiteQuotezone.co.uk says: “For those thinking of investing in an e-scooter this Christmas, you need to be aware that you can’t use them in public spaces unless via rental schemes.  You don’t want to run the risk of adding points to your licence and potentially increasing the cost of your car insurance premium.

“Due to the relatively new nature of this vehicle, e-scooters are not designated as a separate vehicle type on accident reports – meaning the statistics we found during our research could actually be a lot higher, therefore it’s wise to be careful and take the appropriate safety precautions – whilst sticking to riding only in the designated areas or on private grounds.”

While there are a growing number of advocates of e-scooters who are petitioning to have these PLEVs legalised for use on UK roads and cycle paths, it’s important to bear in mind that if and when the legislation changes these vehicles will likely have to be registered, taxed, serviced annually and insured.

Quotezone.co.uk was the first UK platform to offer bicycle insurance comparison options – helping customers get the most competitive price and the policy that suits them best, now covering e-bike products.