THE NUMBER of casualties coming from an e-scooter incident skyrocketed in Gwent last year.
Gwent Police recorded eight casualties from an incident involving an electric scooter in 2022 – up from just one in each of the two years prior.
It means that e-scooters were involved in 1 in 100 vehicle casualties in Gwent last year.
The Metropolitan Police recorded a quarter of all incidents in Britain last year, with the Avon and Somerset and West Midlands forces also reporting significant numbers.
There were 1,492 e-scooter casualties across England and Wales in 2022, a slight increase from 1,434 in 2021.
Data from both years show that a collision involving an e-scooter is most likely to happen at around 8am or 5pm.
Other parts of the UK including Liverpool, Newcastle and some London boroughs are conducting trials for the legal use of rental e-scooters on roads and cycle lanes, but not pavements or motorways. There are currently no such plans in Wales.
Gwent Police has responded to the figures with a warning that any e-scooters caught on the road will be seized.
“The vehicles do not have number plates or signalling ability and can’t be used legally on roads,” Chief Inspector Shane Underwood said. “The only place an electric scooter can be used is on private land with the landowner’s permission.”
E-scooters are classed as personal light electric vehicles (PLEVs), which means they are subject to the same legal requirements as other motor vehicles – including licensing, tax, insurance and MOT.
Think it’s illegal to ride e-scooters @gwentpolice pic.twitter.com/zpYImFqG5S
— JamesMcCarthy (@MaccaTheHack) November 20, 2021
“While the number of injuries linked to the use of an e-scooter is low in Gwent, they can put other road users and pedestrians at risk due to the speeds at which they can go, and their riders often do not have the appropriate safety equipment.
“If a member of the public is caught riding an electric scooter on the road, the scooter will be seized, and the rider could be prosecuted for road traffic offences.”
The force has previously admitted a "local and national picture" of people using the vehicles to undertake other criminal offences.
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