Electric scooter usage
There are more than a million electric scooters on UK streets. 3,987 were confiscated by the Metrolpolitan Police last year (2021).
Electric scooter accident rate
Electric scooters were involved in 1,352 collisions in Great Britain in 2021 (according to updated government figures finalised in September 2022), compared to 460 a year earlier. In 2021, the reported collisions resulted in 1,434 casualties and ten deaths (all of whom were riding a scooter). The year before collisions caused 484 injuries and just one fatality.
Of all e-scooters collisions, 324 included only one e-scooter with no other vehicles involved in the collision, compared to 83 in 2020.
2022 accident stats
| Road user type | Killed | Serious(adjusted) | Slight(adjusted) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-scooter user | 10 | 331 | 761 | 1,102 |
| Pedestrian | 0 | 67 | 162 | 229 |
| Pedal Cyclist | 0 | 20 | 45 | 65 |
| Motor Cyclist | 0 | 3 | 12 | 15 |
| Car Occupant | 0 | 0 | 17 | 17 |
| Van Occupant | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Bus Occupant | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Other Vehicle Occupant | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 10 | 421 | 1,003 | 1,434 |
40% of collisons in 2021 were in London.
Which safety rules should apply to electric scooters on UK roads?
Following the UK Government’s announcement that privately-owned escooter legislation would be part of a new, slimline 2023 Transport Bill, Electroheads.com surveyed more than 5,000 people across the UK to find out public attitudes to safety.
- Nearly half (45.7%) of those aged under 44 think there should be no safety rules for electric scooter use.
- Older people are much keener on rules - of those aged 45+, 67% want at least one safety rule, such as insurance or speed limits.
- For all age groups, the main concern is the safety of the rider. The most supported rule is helmets where 35.4% of people want these compulsory.
- However, only 25.5% of 18-24 year olds want compulsory helmets, though - they are more likely (26.4%) to support a pre-purchase riding proficiency test
- More people (28.6%) support banning scooters outside 20 and 30 mph speed limits than support (26.2%) the current limit (for legal, rental scooters) of 15.5mph.
- Opinion is fairly divided though - outside of helmets, no specific measure commanded the support of more than a third of those surveyed.
| Q1 Answer | Per cent |
|---|---|
| None of the options listed | 38.4% |
| Compulsory helmets | 35.4% |
| 3rd-party accident insurance | 29.7% |
| Not to be used outside 20 or 30mph zones | 28.6% |
| Speed limit of 15mph | 26.2% |
| Pre-purchase riding proficiency test | 25.8% |
| Annual mini-MOT | 20.0% |
Age differences
In terms of age split, there's a clear divide between those who want no speed rules - but still a majority for something in each range.
| Age range | None of the above |
|---|---|
| 18 - 24 | 47.7% |
| 25 - 34 | 46.8% |
| 35 - 44 | 43.6% |
| Total 18-44 | 45.7% |
| 45 - 54 | 32.2% |
| 55 - 64 | 33.8% |
| 65+ | 32.2% |
| Total 45+ | 32.6% |
What should the speed limit of electric scooters be on UK roads?
- Less than half (44.4%) of those surveyed think the speed limit for electric scooters should be less than that of ebikes (15.5mph), which are legal.
- Women and older people are keener on lower speed limits than men and younger people.
- Of the 4 options surveyed, 44.4% want 10-12mph, less than for ebikes.
- 29% want 15.5mph, the same as for ebikes.
- But nearly as many support higher limits - 12% wanting 20mph and 14% thinking electric scooters should just have to obey the limit of the road they are used on.
| Speed limit | Per cent | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-12mph (less than e-bikes) | 44.4% | 49.1% | 39.4% |
| 15.5mph (the same as e-bikes) | 29.2% | 28.4% | 30.0% |
| 20mph (more than e-bikes) | 12.2% | 10.6% | 13.9% |
| The speed limit for road driven on EG 30mph | 14.2% | 11.8% | 16.7% |
Age differences
| Age range | 10-12 | 15.5 | 20mph or the road limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-34 | 36.8% | 33.0% | 30.2% |
| 35-54 | 43.9% | 26.1% | 30.0% |
| 55+ | 49.8% | 29.1% | 21.1% |
Should anti-social electric scooter riding be punished by any of the following?
- Most people want some sort of punishment for anti-social electric scooter riding - but points on your licence is the least popular option.
- Older people (45+) are more likely to want a punishment (66.8%) than those aged 18-44 (53.9%)
| Answer | Per cent |
|---|---|
| None of the options listed | 38.9% |
| On-the-spot fine | 26.5% |
| Impounding of scooter | 25.9% |
| Safe riding awareness course | 25.8% |
| Penalty points on driving licence | 14.2% |
Survey info
Three surveys were run from October 19 2022. The safety rules survey had 1,629 responses; 2,017 for the speed rules; and 1,508 for the punishments. Surveys were carried out by Google Consumer Surveys targeting those aged over 18 using convenience sampling with representative weighting applied.