E-Scooters. Christmas Gift? Or Costly Mistake?

PCC Joy Allen explains in her own words why, when considering an E-Scooter as a gift, people should consider whether the recipient will be able to use it legally.  If not, that expensive present could be seized and ultimately destroyed.

As your Police and Crime Commissioner,Safer Roads sits very much at the heart of my Police, Crime and Justice Plan. I want to see fewer people killed and seriously injured on our roads, stronger enforcement against dangerous and illegal road use and greater protection for pedestrians and other vulnerable road users.

That responsibility means speaking plainly when I believe people are putting themselves or others at unnecessary risk. So, as Christmas approaches and our minds turn to gift ideas, I have a very direct message for any parent, grandparent or relative thinking about buying an e-scooter as a present: Think very carefully before you buy one! Ask yourself one question: where can the person receiving it legally ride it?

If the answer is to school, around the estate, along the pavement, through the park, on a cycle lane or on the road,don’t buy them one.

The law is clear. Privately owned e-scooters cannot legally be ridden on public roads, pavements or cycle lanes.They can only be used on private land with the landowner’s permission. They are treated as motor vehicles or “powered transporters”, so road traffic laws apply, including requirements around insurance and driving licences.

E-scooters are not harmless toys. They can, and do, kill and seriously injure people.

In 2025, 10 people were killed and an estimated 484 seriously injured in collisions involving e-scooters in Great Britain. All 10 people killed were riders. There were 1,477 casualties overall,including 235 pedestrians.

Before spending hundreds of pounds this Christmas, consider whether the person receiving the gift will be able to use it legally. If not, you could find that expensive present is seized by police and ultimately destroyed.

I also recognise the growing concerns residents have about the misuse of e-bikes, particularly where they are ridden dangerously, anti-socially or have been illegally modified. The message is the same: anyone using powered transport irresponsibly puts themselves and others at risk.

Retailers have responsibilities too. Shops and online sellers should make these restrictions crystal clear before customers hand over their money, but many don’t and their customers find out the hard way.

Those who ride e-scooters illegally should understand the consequences of breaking the law. Illegal use can result in prosecution, fines, penalty points, seizure of the e-scooter and, in some cases, its destruction.

I am also concerned about e-scooters being modified or "de-restricted" to increase their speed and power. This increases the risks to riders, pedestrians and other road users.

Battery fires can develop incredibly quickly. Owners should use the correct manufacturer-approved charger and parts, never leave an e-scooter charging and never charge or store one where it could block an escape route.

If you already own an e-scooter, know the law and make sure your children know it too.

I urge residents to report illegal, dangerous or anti-social e-scooter and e-bike use to Durham Constabulary online or via 101. If there is an immediate risk to life or danger, call 999.

My advice is deliberately uncompromising: while you can legally buy a privately owned e-scooter, it cannot legally be ridden on a public road, cycle lane or pavement. It can only be used ON PRIVATE LAND with the landowner's permission, unless it is a rental e-scooter being used as part of a government-approved trial.

No Christmas present is worth a police seizure, penalty points, life-changing injuries or being responsible for causing death and serious injuries on our roads or in our communities!

To report illegal E-Scooter use online:  https://www.durham.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/.

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