Woman, 80, injured by e-scooter on Canterbury pavement

Sarah Carter broke her wrist and fractured her jaw when she was hit by an e-scooter

An 80-year-old woman who was injured when she was hit by an electric scooter in Canterbury has called for a trial in the city to be scrapped.

Sarah Carter broke her wrist and fractured her jaw when she was knocked over as she walked along a pavement.

She was hit by a registered user of an e-scooter provided by Bird, the partner company for Kent County Council, which is running the trial.

The council said it was working to ensure riders are warned over breaches.

The rider who hit Ms Carter was identified by Bird and blocked from the service. Their details have been passed to Kent Police, a Bird spokesman said.

Ms Carter, a retired university librarian, says she has experienced the worst pain of her life following the crash.

"I was bleeding from a laceration on the chin and I had broken my wrist. I have facial injuries and my jaw was fractured," she said.

"I also have fractures to my right cheek."

The e-scooter trial in Canterbury has been extended twice

The e-scooter trial in Canterbury began in November 2020 and has been extended to the end of November this year.

Sarah Gayton, from the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The trial needs to shut down. These e-scooters are regulated, and it's clear they cannot be regulated safely, and this is why Sarah has got these awful injuries.

"There's no doubt in my mind the trial needs to end. It's failed.

"They can't keep the public safe."

Kent County Council said it had been in contact with the Department for Transport and is working with Bird to ensure warnings to drivers are clear and breaches are taken seriously.

The Bird spokesman said: "Our thoughts are with the individual who was injured as we continue to work closely with them and our city partners to provide the support needed at this time.

"Whilst one incident is too many, we estimate that one in five eligible Canterbury residents have ridden our scooters since the trial started almost two years ago and safety incidents remain extremely rare.

"We remain deeply committed to educating our Canterbury riders on safe riding."

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