Assessing the safety of private e-scooter use in the UK

Organisation: Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Transport Safety (PACTS)
Date Project Commenced: June 2021
Date Uploaded: 3 August 2021

In parallel with the launch of public, regulated trials of e-scooters across England, private, and currently illegal, e-scooter use on our roads and in other public spaces has increased.  While the government-approved e-scooter rental trials are intended to assess safety, there is little or no current measure of the impact of the safety of private e-scooter on riders and other road users. 

There have been at least three deaths to date relating to e-scooters, and numerous injuries, including a significant number of life-changing head injuries.  However, the data is sparse and disconnected.  

PACTS has been awarded a grant by the Road Safety Trust to collect data relating to incidents involving these micro-mobility devices and to form recommendations for their construction and use. 

Over the coming months, working with partners from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and fields of expertise, PACTS will: 

  • Gather data of casualties involving e-scooters (riders and other road users) collected from the media, academics and police forces as well as from at least one major trauma centre, and publicly share it
  • Publish a report summarising our findings and recommendations for regulation of private e-scooters – construction and use 
  • Host a webinar to disseminate the findings

If e-scooter use on roads and in other public places is to be legalised, PACTS wants that legislation to include evidence-based safety measures to protect the riders and other road users.  With those collaborating on this project, PACTS is committed to taking a robust, balanced and objective approach to this new mode of transport. 

Find out more on the PACTS’ website: