E-scooters: Educate riders before prosecuting, says police chief

E-scooters are not currently allowed to be used in public, except in government trial zones

E-scooter riders who are found to have broken the law should be be offered education before being prosecuted, a police chief has said.

E-scooters cannot currently be used in public outside of government trial zones, such as Canterbury.

Kent Police head of partnerships Supt Pete Steenhuis urged riders to "familiarise" themselves with the law.

It comes amid concerns that some e-scooter riders are not abiding by the law.

Last year, a woman was seriously injured, with broken limbs, following a crash with an e-scooter rider on a pavement along St Thomas Hill, Canterbury, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Supt Steenhuis said: "Police officers across the county have engaged with individuals on the street and in schools to provide advice.

"Should an officer come across an e-scooter being used incorrectly, they will first seek to educate the rider and encourage them to adhere to the legislation."

Scooters in a trial zone in Canterbury

Nikola Floodgate, Kent County Council's road safety manager, said users should "behave sensibly" on the streets.

She added: "We want to educate people. If you are using a vehicle on the footpath that can cause just as much danger."

A government e-scooter trial which launched in Canterbury in November 2021 was extended in March so more data could be gathered and reported back to the Department for Transport.

Riders have to be at least 18 years old and hold a provisional driving licence to hire the e-scooters.

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