Electric Scooter UK Fine – What To Expect

It is illegal to ride a privately owned electric scooter on UK roads, meaning that you could face a penalty if you are caught doing so. But what is the electric scooter UK fine, and could your e-scooter be taken by police if you’re caught riding it on a public road?

The truth is, you could face an on the spot fine of up to £300 if you are caught riding an electric scooter on a public road in the UK. Not only that, but you could also receive a penalty point endorsement on your driving licence.

In this article, we’ll explore the legalities around riding an electric scooter in the UK, as well as the potential penalties that you could face if you are caught doing so.

Is It Legal To Ride An Electric Scooter In The UK?

Several major cities across the UK are currently trialling an e-scooter rental scheme, where over 16s with a full or provisional driving licence are able to hire electric scooters to ride on public roads. With this knowledge in mind, you may be surprised to learn that it is illegal to ride a privately owned electric scooter on a public road in the UK.

The reason for this is that electric scooters are classified under section 185 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 as a motor vehicle. So, to ride an electric scooter legally on a public road, you’ll need to hold a valid licence, insurance and tax. This would be extremely difficult to do for privately owned scooters, as insurance for this type of transport mode is difficult to come by.

In many parts of the country, there are additional restrictions on e-scooters. For example, Transport for London has banned all electric scooters from public transport, as a result of a number of fires that involved e-scooters. In fact, you could be fined up to £1,000 by TfL if you are caught with either a privately owned or rental electric scooter on public transport in London.

However, it remains legal to ride an electric scooter on private property, providing you have the landowner’s permission to do so.

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How Much Is An E-Scooter Fine?

If you’re caught riding an electric scooter on a public road, you might be wondering what fine you could be facing.

You might be surprised to learn that the potential penalties you could face for illegally riding a private electric scooter on a public road in the UK can be severe. This is because it is categorised as a motoring offence, so you’ll face similar penalties to other road users that are found to be breaking the law.

The fine for riding an e-scooter on a UK public road is £300, along with a six penalty point endorsement on your driving licence. In more serious cases, you could even find yourself facing a driving disqualification.

What Happens If You Get Caught On An Electric Scooter?

You might be wondering what exactly will happen if you are caught riding a private electric scooter on a public road in the UK. The answer to this question will vary depending on exactly what you’re doing, the danger that you may be posing to yourself and other road users and whether it is your first offence.

In some circumstances, you may be given a warning. However, there is also a chance that you will be given a fixed penalty notice, consisting of a fine and a penalty point endorsement. The fine will typically be £300, along with six penalty points to be endorsed to your driving licence.

In more serious scenarios, you may be arrested and charged with a more serious offence. This may be the case if you are found to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, contravening traffic signals or if you are riding dangerously and causing risk to others.

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Can Police Take My Electric Scooter?

There have been reports in the news of electric scooters being seized by the police from riders who are caught scooting on a public road. But how likely is this to happen to you if you are stopped?

It’s important to be aware that there is a real risk that your e-scooter could be seized if you are caught riding on a public road without the appropriate licence, insurance and tax. However, evidence so far suggests that electric scooters are typically only seized by police if the rider is acting dangerously, for example by speeding, contravening traffic signals or riding whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

If your electric scooter is seized by police, you will then need to pay to recover it from the vehicle recovery unit.

Do You Need A Licence For An Electric Scooter UK?

If you’re thinking about hiring an electric scooter from the government’s pilot scheme, you might be wondering whether you require a driving licence to do so.

One of the requirements for hiring an electric scooter to drive on a public road is that you must hold a full or provisional UK driver’s licence, as well as being aged 16 or over. This means that you cannot hire an electric scooter if you are under 16, or if you don’t hold at least a provisional driving licence.

Private electric scooters cannot be driven on a public road in the UK, even if you hold a driving licence. This is because private electric scooters are classified as a motor vehicle in UK law, so would require vehicle tax and insurance to be ridden on a public road, which would be almost impossible to obtain.

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Are Electric Scooters Dangerous?

Electric scooters are often thought of as toys for children and teenagers, so you might be surprised to learn that these devices have actually led to many serious injuries and even deaths in the UK in recent years.

In the 12 months leading up to June 2021, there were a total of 882 accidents that involved electric scooters, which resulted in a total of 931 injuries. Of these casualties, three people died, all of which were the riders of the electric scooters in question. 253 of these casualties resulted in a serious injury, with 675 minor injuries.

These statistics also highlight that it is the riders of the electric scooters themselves that are most likely to be injured. Of the total 931 casualties involving electric scooters, 732 of those were the rider themselves. This was followed by pedestrians, of which 131 were injured.

This highlights the dangers that electric scooters can pose, if the correct safety precautions are not taken.

Why Are Private E-Scooters Illegal?

We’ve already highlighted the dangers that electric scooters can pose on UK roads, and this is why the government is taking steps to regulate their usage. It is difficult to obtain insurance for an electric scooter, and there is currently no universal standard that private electric scooters must meet, making it almost impossible to ensure that every private scooter is safe to use on a road.

The only way that the government can ensure that e-scooters are safe to be ridden on a public road is by banning the use of private electric scooters, and restricting the legal use of e-scooters to the pilot rental schemes in some UK cities. Through doing this, the government can ensure that electric scooters being ridden on public roads have the appropriate speed limit, as well as the correct tax and insurance.

For example, some electric scooters on sale privately can reach up to 50mph. In contrast, the electric scooters that you can hire through the government’s pilot scheme are limited to just 15.5mph. These scooters are also taxed and insured, and riders are advised to wear a helmet for their own safety.

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Where Are Electric Scooters Legal?

Whilst private electric scooters are illegal for use on public roads in the UK, this is not the case in many European countries. In fact, in many countries, an electric scooter is classified as a PLEV (Personal Light Electric Vehicle) and actively encouraged as a way to reduce the number of cars on the roads and the emissions generated.

For example, in France it is legal to ride an electric scooter on a cycle lane at up to 25kmh, whilst in both Switzerland and Austria e-scooters can be ridden on a public road. In Germany and France, an electric scooter can be ridden on a pavement at speeds up to 6kmh.

What To Do If You Are Caught Riding An Electric Scooter On A Public Road

If you have been caught riding an electric scooter on a public road, you might be wondering what your next steps should be. This will depend on the offence that you have been charged with, the potential penalties that you are facing and the defence that you have.

Whilst it can be difficult to argue that you were not riding an e-scooter on a public road if you in fact were, there are defences available if you have been charged with additional offences, such as speeding, contravening traffic signals or riding your electric scooter whilst under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

If you’re unsure of what your next steps should be, or you want to talk through your options, it’s best to seek specialist legal advice from an experienced motoring offence lawyer as soon as possible. Whilst you may not feel that riding an electric scooter might fall into the category of a motoring offence, this is how it is seen in UK law. Therefore, it’s important to have a motoring offence solicitor on your side when dealing with your case.

At Caddick Davies, we have many years of experience in dealing with motoring offences, including electric scooter offences. This means that we are perfectly placed to assist you in your case, talking you through your options and helping you to decide on the right course of action for your individual circumstances.

Contact Caddick Davies Solicitors today
Send us a message or call us on 0333 443 2366 for friendly advice

Related Questions

How Do You Legally Ride An Electric Scooter?

In the UK, the only type of electric scooter that you can legally ride on a public road is one that has been hired through the government’s rental scheme. Privately owned electric scooters cannot be ridden on a public road. The only place that you can ride a private e-scooter in the UK is on private land, with the express permission of the landowner.

Can You Ride An Electric Scooter On The Pavement?

It’s important to note that private electric scooters cannot be ridden outside of private property. However, if you’re planning to hire an electric scooter through the government’s rental scheme, you might be wondering whether you are able to legally ride the scooter on the pavement. Unfortunately, it is illegal to ride an electric scooter on the pavement, even if it has been hired through the government’s scheme. It is essential that the e-scooter is only ridden on the road, to stay on the right side of the law and avoid any potential penalties.

In Summary

Electric scooters are a contentious topic in the UK. Whilst the government is currently trialling the use of e-scooter rental schemes in major cities across the UK, privately owned electric scooters remain illegal for use on public roads. In fact, they can only be ridden on private land, with the express permission of the land owner.

In this article, we have explained the electric scooter UK fine, as well as exploring the law surrounding electric scooters in more detail.

If you’ve been charged with an electric scooter offence, we are here to help. At Caddick Davies, we are specialists when it comes to UK motoring law. We can talk you through your options and support you in your chosen path, whether you choose to defend the allegations or appeal for a more lenient penalty.

Charged with an electric scooter offence?

Contact Caddick Davies today for expert advice

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Neil Davies

Motoring Lawyer at Caddick Davies Solicitors

Caddick Davies is recognised as one of England and Wales’ leading motoring law firms, offering specialist Speeding Solicitors, Drink Driving Solicitors & Dangerous Driving Solicitors.We provide advice and representation on all motoring offences including speeding, the avoidance of disqualification on penalty points or “totting up” (exceptional hardship), driving without due care and attention (careless driving), dangerous driving, drink driving, as well as a range of services related to medical revocation of a driving licence.

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