E-Scooter Safety and the Law

Make sure you know the law and consider safety before buying, or allowing your child to ride, an e-scooter or hoverboard. 

In the West Mercia policing area of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire there is only one e-scooter trial, based in Redditch. Therefore, unless part of this loan scheme e-scooters and hoverboards can only be ridden on private land with the permission of the landowner.

Electric scooters. 

Although e-scooters are available to buy they are currently illegal to use on public roads, pavements, cycle lanes and pedestrian-only areas. E-scooters are currently classed as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs) by the Government and fall under the same laws and regulations that apply to all motor vehicles in terms of requiring insurance, tax, MOT, licence and registration. There is no mechanism in place at the moment to obtain any of these for e-scooters so as this requirement can’t be met their use in public areas is illegal. 

Anyone found using them in public areas risks having the e-scooter seized by the police and face the possibility to being fined and even issued points. More information can be found at Riding an electric scooter: the rules - GOV.UK 

Hoverboards 

Hoverboards, also known as self-balancing scooters, are not legal for road use and cannot be ridden on the pavement as this would be an offence under section 72 of the Highways Act 1835. 

Safety equipment.

All riders, regardless of experience, should wear correctly worn safety equipment, which includes: 

• A motorcycle helmet (E marked or Kite Marked). 

• Gloves and elbow/knee pads. 

As riding a motorised vehicle of any kind requires a certain level of skill and judgement, we recommend that young riders are supervised at all times when using these vehicles on private land and should not be encouraged or permitted to ride them in public.

Due to an increase of complaints from members of the public about these items being used irresponsibly on our roads and pavements, the Oswestry Safer Neighbourhoods Team will be looking to engage with and educate any users, with any persistent or irresponsible riders dealt with accordingly as per the laws mentioned above.

We do acknowledge that some members of the public will not be aware of the illegal status of these items on our roads, which is why education will be one of our options in dealing with any riders.