14 e-scooters seized in one Derby suburb in countywide crackdown on 'terrifying' vehicles

A total of 14 e-scooters have been seized in the Chaddesden area following a joint police operation. The Derbyshire Roads Police Unit linked up with Chaddesden Safer Neighbourhood Team to remove the the e-scooters, which are illegal to ride in public places on roads and pavements, also to deal with the owners.

The seizure comes as Derbyshire police issue a warning to people to make sure they know the law before purchasing an e-scooter. A police spokesman said: "Currently, it’s illegal to ride an e-scooter on public roads, footpaths or cycle paths. E-scooters can only be ridden on private land, unless it's part of a government approved hire scheme."

Sergeant Luke Scribbins, who leads the Safer Neighbourhood Team in Chaddesden, said: “We know that the use of illegal vehicles like off-road bikes and e-scooters is of real concern to the community. The operation last week was a real success with 14 scooters seized.

“The law around these scooters is clear – they cannot be used legally in public – and we will not stand by and see these used. I would urge anyone thinking of buying one, particularly as a gift for Christmas, to think twice. It has been made very clear that e-scooters are illegal and if you are found on one then it will be seized.

“You also run the risk of being prosecuted for other offences, such as drink driving or dangerous driving, so the risk is just not worth it.

"We’re issuing this warning ahead of the Christmas sales as we know many well-meaning family members might buy them for children as a fun gift, only to be left out of pocket when they realise using them around the streets is illegal. Worse than this, due to the law the e-scooter may be seized and destroyed."

Derbyshire police has been getting tougher on e-scooters since the beginning of the month by launching a new “seize first” approach after it received hundreds of reports involving the “terrifying” vehicles. The force is now seizing e-scooters “immediately” off the streets if they are seen by officers in public places. This new approach from Derbyshire police began from November 1.

On Monday, November 11 (more than a week into the new approach) police said it seized 10 vehicles. At the start of 2024 the force seized an average of 13 e-scooters per month.

New action comes after newly-elected Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts (Labour) said she had been working with Derbyshire police chiefs to make e-scooter enforcement “more robust”.

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Statistics show that in the last two years 509 calls have been received by Derbyshire police relating to anti-social behaviour involving e-scooters and 441 reports of them being ridden dangerously.

Sarah Gayton, from the UK's National Federation of the Blind, hoped Derbyshire could “lead the way” in terms of a stronger e-scooter enforcement nationally to protect pedestrians and riders themselves.

She said: “E-scooter riders are terrifying pedestrians. There are still a lot of hidden dangers of people getting hurt and them not being reported."

Facts about e-scooters:

Q: What is an e-scooter?

A: Electrical scooters (also known as e-scooters) come under the category of 'powered transporters'. This covers a range of personal transport devices that are powered by a motor.

E-scooters are classed as motor vehicles under the Road Traffic Act 1988. This means the rules that apply to motor vehicles, also apply to e-scooters including the need to have a licence and insurance.

There are two ways of using an e-scooter:

• by privately owning one
• by renting one through an authorised rental scheme

Q: Owning your own e-scooter?

A: It's not currently possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters. This means it’s illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces, such as parks, street pavements, and shopping centres.

If you use a privately-owned e-scooter in public, you risk the vehicle being seized under S.165 Road Traffic Act 1988 for having no insurance.

If you cause serious harm to another person whilst riding an e-scooter, the incident will be investigated in the same way it would if you were riding a motorcycle or driving a car.

Q: Where you can use your own e-scooter?

A: If you own an e-scooter, you can only use it in on private land, such as in a garden. But you must have the permission of the landowner to do so.

Q: Rental e-scooters?

A: You can rent e-scooters in some parts of the UK through e-scooter rental trials.

Where a rental trial scheme is running, rental e-scooters can be used on public roads, some cycle lanes, and other public spaces. But you must follow the relevant road traffic laws. If you don’t, you could face prosecution.

To use a rental e-scooter in an approved area you must:

• hold the correct driving licence (find out about driving licence categories)
• have insurance (the rental companies provide this when you hire from them)
• meet the minimum age limit (this can vary depending on the rental company, so please check with them)

When riding an e-scooter, you should always keep to the speed limit. We also always recommend wearing safety protection such as a helmet.

Q: Penalties and offences?

A: If you breach the rules when using an e-scooter you could face a fixed penalty notice.

Forces set and enforce penalties differently, so the penalty will vary depending on where the offence is committed.

Devon and Cornwall police will not issue fines, so other forms of penalty will be used if you use an e-scooter in a public place when not part of an approved trial.

For other forces in the UK and Northern Ireland, the fixed penalty notice could include:

• a £300 fine and six penalty points on your licence for having no insurance
• a £100 fine and three to six penalty points for riding without the correct licence

You could also be committing an offence if you're caught:

• riding on a pavement: fixed penalty notice and possible £50 fine
• using a mobile phone or other handheld mobile device while riding: £200 and six penalty points
• riding through red lights: fixed penalty notice, £100 fine and possible penalty points
• drink driving: the same as if you were driving a car, you could face court imposed fines, a driving ban and possible imprisonment

If you're using an e-scooter in public in an antisocial manner, you can also risk the e-scooter being seized under section 59 of the Police Reform Act.