Out and about you will likely have noticed an increase in the number of electric scooters, fast becoming a relatively inexpensive way to get around our towns and cities. One of the first question that comes to mind; are adult electric scooters actually legal in the UK?

The Highways Act of 1835, stipulates that footpaths must be for the sole use of pedestrians, and forbids the driving of any “horse, ass, sheep, mule, swine, or cattle or carriage of any description.” So, can they be ridden on the road instead? The answer is again no, the DVLA requires electric vehicles to be registered and taxed in order to use the road. An adult electric scooter falls within the PLEV category (Personal Light Electric Vehicle) and their power and low maximum speed mean they cannot be used on public roads in the UK. So where can they be used if not on roads or pavements? The answer, on private land, such as your home or off-road space.

So, after a decade since two-wheeled Segways threatened to change commuter habits, the scooter is doing the same and challenging the DfT, vying to become a new green, clean and relatively cheap way of travelling around our towns and cities. Will the law change, possibly, but for the time being manufacturers of the scooters are advising common sense, such as ensuring you are not going too fast, have good control on your scooter, are wearing a safety helmet and have working lights. Further information can be found on the Micro Scooters website.

It still comes across as strange that so many manufacturers are selling these electric scooters, despite admitting in the small print that ‘In the UK, electric scooters are currently illegal to use on public roads/pavements. Appropriate protective equipment, especially head protection like a helmet, should be worn at all times.’

For users of non electric scooters you might find the information on the Swift Scooters website useful.

The arguments for and against will no doubt continue.