Less than 1 in 4 British adults (23 percent) strongly or somewhat agreed that they know all the legal requirements for renting an e-scooter, a new poll commissioned by the Major Trauma Group has found. This comes as e-scooter accidents lead to over 200 injuries and counting and raise over 1,000 complaints, with trials having been rolled out to 30 cities.
Shockingly, in three of the cities included in the survey where a trial is taking place, individuals were less likely to agree that they know all the legal requirements than the general British public: 20 percent in Newcastle; 18 percent in Nottingham; and just 12 percent in Norwich.
Over half of the people in four cities polled where a trial is taking place strongly or somewhat disagreed that they know all the legal requirements: 60 percent in Norwich and Nottingham; 58 percent in Liverpool; and 53 percent in Newcastle. Men were also more likely to agree that they know all the legal requirements than women (28 percent compared to 18 percent).
Serious injury and even death can occur when personal light electric vehicles are not used correctly, and the Major Trauma Group, a national service to assist people affected by major trauma accidents, is calling for better education before further cities are added to the trials to ensure the safe adoption of e-scooters on our roads.
Despite lack of general awareness of current rules for e-scooter trials, there continues to be demand for an increased rollout of e-scooters. The majority (53 percent) of 16 – 34-year-olds are keen to see the Government make renting e-scooters more easily available across the UK showing a strong appetite in young people for new methods of transport.
Of the cities polled, the highest demand for e-scooter rentals where a trial is not currently running are Edinburgh, Cardiff and Plymouth – with 53 percent, 52 percent and 50 percent of adults keen to have a trial brought to the cities respectively.
Trevor Sterling, Chair of the Major Trauma Group said:
“Whilst e-scooter technology is very exciting and will support the UK in our efforts to reduce carbon emissions, the rollout of these vehicles should not be expediated without effective public education while the risk to road users remains so high.
“Without proper understanding of the rules and regulations, e-scooter users risk severely injuring themselves, pedestrians or other road users. All serious safety concerns and lack of regulation must be addressed before the Government progresses with any additional trials in order to prevent further accidents.”
Can Major Trauma Group help?
Major Trauma Group is a network of specialist serious injury law firms, experienced in dealing with claims following major trauma. We can provide assistance to clients throughout England and Wales and we are supported by a medical clinician who can advise on rehabilitation, independent financial advisers and case managers who are all highly experienced in this field. If you would like to contact one of our members, you can email us at hello@majortraumagroup.co.uk and phone us on 0330 311 2578.
