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SAVE MONEY AT CHRISTMAS! DO NOT BUY AN E – SCOOTER!
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I am PC 71979 Woodley attached to Southend Police Stations Community Policing Team and I am writing to you to try to save yourself a lot of money and distress. E-Scooters and similar electric vehicles such as one to four wheeled electric skateboards are a common sight on our streets these days. The appeal cannot be denied, they are cheap to run and get you about quickly and efficiently and are easily stored, truth be told if the circumstances were different, I would have one!
Unfortunately, despite their appeal they are currently illegal in the UK!
Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 they are classed as a motor vehicle just like a car and as a result they require 3rd party insurance, which you cannot get! Then there is Road Tax and MOT where you have the same problem! Not to mention you would require a full driver’s licence to ride one on your own.
This means that by using one, or allowing someone else to use yours, on a road or in a public place you are committing several road traffic offences which could mean fines and points on your licence (if you are old enough to have one). It will also mean that the E-Scooter would be seized for no insurance. It would be taken to a vehicle depot where it will remain because the only way it can be retrieved is if you produce a certificate of 3rd party insurance which, as stated above, you cannot get!
You will have lost all the money spent on the E – Scooter on top of everything else.
I would also ask you to consider the safety issues with them. Yes, they have a brake and some even have decent lights but that’s it. There is no training in road safety, operation or requirement to wear protective equipment. I am sure we have all seen people shooting across roads without looking, weaving in and out of traffic on roads and people on public footpaths. There HAVE been injuries, some quite serious with both riders and public being injured. Do you want a visit to A&E for Christmas for yourself or a loved one?!
There are also some people out there that will tell you that I am wrong and that you can use them off road, or in the park, or on the pavement, or if it has a certain power rating its fine or you can get insurance.
ALL UNTRUE! The only way that you can use one of these is on PRIVATE LAND. So, if you own a nice large piece of land or have a farmer friend who will let you use theirs then have at it, but I advise wearing some safety equipment.
There are some E-Scooter schemes put in place in some areas such as Basildon and Chelmsford where you can hire an E-Scooter that has been maintained and insured by the local council. This is currently the only way that they can be ridden in a public place, but the scheme does not exist in Southend.
With Christmas around the corner an E-Scooter could well be on your Christmas list for yourself or a loved one. They are sold online and in various shops and they should be informing you of the restrictions of use, but this is often in the very fine print and often missed. Please reconsider this item as a Christmas gift! Essex Police are clamping down on these items and it will be seized if found being used incorrectly. I have added some images below for your assistance.
Thank you for your time, Merry Christmas!
PC 71979 Stewart Woodley
Southend Town Policing.
