E Scooters

 From Kent Police and Kent County Council

We understand that many parents / carers may wish to purchase or perhaps already have an E-Scooter.  Year round we work closely with our community safety partners to raise awareness of key road safety messages throughout Kent and Medway.  There has been an increasing number of individuals riding e-scooters on the public highway, pavements and in public open spaces.

Kent Police are advising the public to understand the laws around E-scooters use before purchasing.  E-Scooters are classed as motor vehicles and are required to be taxed and insured.  It is not possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters, which means it is illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces, such as pavements.

Enforcement

The police are obliged to take action against anyone who is caught repeatedly using an e-scooter illegally or in a way that causes a nuisance to others.  In these circumstances, the police have the power to seize the e-scooter under Section 59 of the Police Reform Act/165 of the Road Traffic Act.

You risk a £300 fine, six penalty points endorsed on your driving licence and the E-Scooter being seized.  If you do not currently hold a driving licence at the time of the offence, you may be prosecuted and may have to go to court, whereby the fine can increase and your ability to obtain a driving licence in the future may be affected.

If you purchase an E-Scooter, it can only be used on private land with the landowner's consent.

Fire Safety

Kent Fire and Rescue Service have issued a safety warning on the use of lithium-ion batteries following several battery related fires across the county.

Lithium-ion batteries or li-ion batteries (sometimes called LIBs) are commonly found in many items including mobile phones, laptops, e-bikes, hover boards and e-scooters.

Firefighters are urging the public to take care when storing and using these types of batteries, and to think twice before purchasing items from non-reputable suppliers.  You can find out more about this via the KFRS website

Kent Fire and Rescue Service - battery safety warning

Additional information

For further detailed information regarding e-scooters please visit Gov.uk

Gov.UK guidance on powered transporters