The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) is dedicating this year’s Injury Prevention Week (27 June – 1 July 2022) to e-scooter safety.
“Up to three quarters of a million more e-scooters will be on the roads if the Government lifts the ban on riding privately-owned e-scooters in public areas,” said John McQuater, president of APIL, a nationwide not-for-profit campaign group which hosts Injury Prevention Week every summer.
“The number of collisions has already shot up by 181 per cent in a year and we’ve not even had an influx of the privately-owned ones yet,” John explained.
The Government has indicated that it intends to run a public consultation about measures for the use of private e-scooters. Currently, only e-scooters in the rental schemes are legal to ride in public places.
“We’re using Injury Prevention Week to highlight what needs to happen to make e-scooters safe for everyone. This is not just about the riders, as a quarter of injuries involving e-scooters are suffered by pedestrians and other road users,” John explained.
“E-scooters in the rental schemes are limited to a top speed of 12.5mph. This should be the same for ones owned privately but measures need to be in place to make sure that tampering with the e-scooter’s speed capabilities after purchase won’t be tolerated,” he went on.
“Education and training about e-scooters should be included as part of the motor driving test. All road users need to be clear about safe passing distances and rights of way.
“It also needs to be a requirement to wear a helmet. Head injuries, along with broken bones, are the most common types of injuries in e-scooter collisions,” John concluded.
Nick Molyneux, Partner and Personal Injury Solicitor at Farleys commented,
“I have been approached by people who have suffered serious injuries as a result of accidents while riding e-scooters or collisions with them. These types of accidents can have a catastrophic impact on the lives of everyone involved. We need clear rules from the government on a minimum age for riders, enforcement of the need to wear a helmet and a mandatory test if the rider does not have at least a provisional driving licence”
“We are joining APIL in calling for a clarification on the laws surrounding e-scooters and to implement practical measures to increase the safety of all road users.”
For more information about APIL and Injury Prevention Week, please visit their website.
If you have suffered injuries as a result of an e-scooter collision or accident, our personal injury claim specialists are on hand to help. Call the team today on 0845 287 0939 or email us for a free, no obligation assessment of your case.