E-Scooters
3rd January 2022
e-scooters – know the law
The following information was provided by Kent Police.
Although e-scooters can be great fun, it’s against the law to ride one on a public road, cycle lane or pavement.
What you need to know
e-scooters are classed as Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEVs), which means they are treated as motor vehicles and subject to the same legal requirements, such as driving licence, insurance, number plates, lighting, road tax, crash helmets etc. Without these, e-scooters cannot be used legally on the road.
The Government is currently trailing the use of approved rental e-scooters as environmentally friendly modes of transport in some specific locations in the UK.
For the rest of the country, under current law, e-scooters can only be used on private land.
What should I do now?
It’s our priority to keep you and other road users safe.
We are obliged to take action against anyone who is caught repeatedly using an e-scooter illegally or in a way that causes a nuisance to others. In these circumstances we have the power to seize the e-scooter under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act/165 of the Road Traffic Act – and we’d really prefer not to.
Thank you for cooperating with us today and agreeing not to use your e-scooter on a road, cycle lane or pavement.
From now on, please make sure you only use your e-scooter on private land.
For more information about powered transporters and the law, visit www.gov.uk