The number of collisions involving e-scooters in London doubled over the past year, new figures show.
The Met police recorded 510 collisions in 2021, accounting for 38 per cent of all e-scooter collisions across the UK. The City of London police recorded nine more.
Private e-scooters are illegal to use on the road currently, although plans are in place to legalise and regulate them. Although they are illegal, they are a common sight on roads. Police seized 3,600 private e-scooters being used illegally last year. Transport for London (TfL) is running a trial e-scooter hire scheme in certain boroughs like Southwark. TfL recently extended the trial until November.
There were 1,280 collisions involving an e-scooter in total across the whole of England, Scotland and Wales last year, up nearly 180 per cent. Some 1,359 people were hurt in these collisions, of whom the majority – 1,034 people – were e-scooter users themselves.
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Sadly, nine people were killed across Great Britain in e-scooter collisions last year. Rotherhithe man Michael Harris died in July, a few weeks after coming off his e-scooter in a collision in Long Lane, although it is unclear if this was included in the police death statistics.
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The rise in collisions is a snapshot illustration of how many more e-scooters are on our streets now compared to two years ago, and the dangers that they can bring to the people using them and fellow road users. The News reported this week on the concerns faced by some blind people about e-scooter use, particularly on pavements.