Police Lisburn & Castlereagh in partnership with Lisburn & Castlereagh Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) are encouraging residents to understand the law before thinking about purchasing an E-Scooter.
What is the law on e-scooters?
Currently in the UK, you can legally buy an e-scooter, but you cannot ride it on a public road, cycle lane or pavement. The only place it can be used is on private land.
The reason for this is that e-scooters are treated as motor vehicles by the Department of Infrastructure and are subject to the same legal requirement as other vehicles, such as MOT, licencing, tax and insurance.
Because they don’t always have number plates, signalling ability or visible rear lights, they cannot be used legally on the roads.
What happens if I am stopped by the police?
The police will advise you on the law and may ask you to take your e-scooter home. They may, however, still penalise you depending on the seriousness of the offence.
If caught riding an e-scooter, fines you may receive can include:
- Prosecution for no driving licence which can result in a fine of £1000 plus 3-6 penalty points
- A Fixed Penalty Notice for no insurance, with a £200 fine and six penalty points
- Other offences which may result in penalties include riding on the footpath, using a mobile phone, riding through red lights and drink driving offences.
Police will deal with each person in the most appropriate way, with consideration for all the circumstances. Police have the power under The Road Traffic (NI) Order 1981 to seize these vehicles and retain them if appropriate.
Where can I legally ride my e-scooter?
The only place it can be used is on private land.
If my e-scooter is confiscated, can I get it back?
As certificates of insurance cannot be obtained for these electric vehicles, this means that they will be destroyed after the period of 14 days.
However, the owner of the motor vehicle can make an application under Section 31 of the Police (NI) Act 1998 for the courts to compel the police to return the property. If no application received the vehicle is destroyed.
If an application is received the court will make the decision as to what happens with that vehicle.
Is this legislation only applicable to e-scooters?
No this legislation also applies to scrambler type bikes and any other motor vehicle where a certificate of insurance is not or cannot be obtained.
Why are e-scooters considered so dangerous on public roads/pavements?
E-scooters are considered dangerous for a number of reasons but mainly because they combine relatively high speeds with very little physical protection for the rider, limited visibility for other road users and pedestrians which can cause very serious injuries if involved in a collision.
Note to Parents
Please ensure that any child in your care understands both the legal and safety needs before and during the use of an e-scooter.
They are not toys and their use in public spaces poses a risk to the safety of both riders and the public, and someone could be seriously hurt as a result of their inappropriate use.
As the PSNI continue to do all they can to detect offenders, we’d also ask that the community continues to report the illegal and dangerous driving of e-scooters so we can help to make our roads safer for everyone.
Phone 101 (non - emergency) or report online at https://www.psni.police.uk/report . All emergencies phone 999.
To find out more click here.