Revealed: Half of Brits don’t think e-scooters are safe!!
If you have visited a UK city within the past few months you will have most likely seen people driving e-scooters within pedestrian areas. The controversial form of transport remains illegal for much of the UK and their use in public areas is only permitted as part of a government backed trial in certain areas.
Although the law states that a driving license is needed to participate in a rental scheme, the use of electric scooters, especially by the teen population, has led to many concerns from the public. A new report by The Compensation Experts reveals the UK’s true perception of this new mode of transport.
Are the e-scooter trials working?
Many locations across the UK currently have shared e-scooter trials in place, but how do the residents of those areas feel after living with e-scooters for the past few weeks and months?
The report questioned residents in a handful of areas currently trialing e-scooters and asked residents if they felt they were safe or not, the results can be seen below:
Area |
Operator of the trial |
When the trial was Launched |
How many residents do not feel that e-scooters are safe |
Newcastle |
Neuron |
16-Feb-21 |
38% |
Norwich |
Beryl |
21-Sep-20 |
43% |
Birmingham |
Voi |
10-Sep-20 |
49% |
Southampton |
Voi |
18-Mar-21 |
51% |
Bristol |
Voi |
29-Oct-20 |
53% |
Nottingham |
Wind |
27-Oct-20 |
53% |
Liverpool |
Voi |
06-Oct-20 |
55% |
Electric scooter unease: Brits don’t feel safe
The average electric scooter can travel at a max speed of between 15-22mph – a speed high enough to easily cause injury.
The report revealed that 64% of Brits agreed there should be a test before you can ride an e-scooter, alongside 70% who think there should be a speed limit for this new form of transport.
60% of respondents agreed that e-scooters will cause more accidents, whilst 38% of Brits think they will lead to an increase in crime.
While e-scooters rented legally as part of a trial can currently only be used in cycle lanes and roads, fearful Brits do not want this to change. 74% of respondents think e-scooters should stay off pedestrian paths, and over half (55%) said they would not feel safe walking down the high street with e-scooters.