Scooters And One Wheels

A whole bunch of individuals have been injured when the electrical scooter was launched in England, in accordance with ITV investigations

The controversial introduction of E-scooter Hundreds of injuries and more than 1,000 complaints have occurred on England’s roads, according to new information from local authorities.The extent of the problems with rental scooters is shown in an issue of ITVs This evening Program “E-Scooter: Britain’s New Road Rage?” Aired Thursday.The investigation, which contains indications of dangerous driving, anti-social behavior and drunk driving, includes calls for urgent regulation of vehicles.Simply put, we have to choose e-scooters.

Thousands of e-scooters are on our streets – but activists say too many use them on the sidewalks. Photo credit: ITV Tonight

The argument rages, some believe that they are a public good, others that they pose a public danger.There are now thousands of e-scooters on the road, many of them illegal.Opinions are very divided, but the government’s official verdict has been delayed until next year.The new information and data we have compiled should help bring this crucial debate to the fore.Government-sponsored trials of rental e-scooters now operate in more than 50 cities, but Freedom of Information results for the Tonight program show more than 210 injuries and 1,100 complaints.

7.608

Number of rental e-scooters used in England.

805

Number of e-scooter incidents reported to local authorities in the past year

According to the councils, more than 7,608 rental e-scooters are currently in use – with a permit of at least 34,425.The local authorities, which run the e-scooter programs in partnership with 11 private companies, have reported more than 800 incidents, including 25 collisions.And 122 users have been banned from using the rental scooters since safety tests began last summer.

E-Scooter Trials: How They Work

  • E-scooter rental trials are taking place in more than 50 cities in England, run by 11 private companies.

  • In most programs, e-scooters are distributed all over the city, which you can pick up and rent with a mobile phone app. Others allow monthly rentals where you keep the e-scooter at home.

  • You must have a provisional or full driver’s license to rent an e-scooter and you can face the same penalties for dangerous driving or drink-driving as you would in a car.

  • It is recommended, but not required, to wear a helmet when attempting to rent. The e-scooters are limited to 24 km / h.

  • Geofencing technology often prevents you from driving in prohibited areas or slows down the speed of the e-scooter.

  • Only e-scooters in the rental trials are legal on UK roads. Driving a privately owned e-scooter was and is illegal. If stopped, you could have your e-scooter seized by the police, fined £ 300 and get six points on your driver’s license.

A common complaint about e-scooters is where they are parked. Photo credit: Tonight

One of the most common complaints was that the e-scooters were being driven – it was about where they are parked.Many of the rental programs do not require vehicles to be docked; they can be left on sidewalks.The landlords provide information and instructions on where e-scooters can be safely parked.However, there is ample evidence to suggest that users do not always follow this advice – sometimes with tragic consequences.Northampton’s Phil Jones died after trying to move a rental e-scooter that blocked the sidewalk.His brother Dennis Jones told the Tonight program, “I think it’s just amazing that you can rent something and just leave it somewhere … it hasn’t been looked at and it needs some form of regulation.”

Phil Jones died after trying to move a rental e-scooter that blocked the sidewalk

Tonight, 1.8 million trips were made as part of the Ministry of Transport approved rental e-scooter trials.The program contains video evidence of bad driver behavior, including two people in the same vehicle and dangerous sidewalk driving.Although speed is limited to a maximum of 15 mph, there is no compulsory training before hiring someone and there is no need to wear a helmet.

Sam Pooke from Voi e-scooter rental company. Photo credit: Tonight

Sam Pooke of the e-scooter rental company Voi says to Tonight: “Of course, with every new mode of transport you will always find some people who are unfortunately not using it the way it is supposed to.”Like many in this emerging sector, he points out the potential environmental benefits: “They are environmentally friendly, flexible and affordable. Our latest data has shown that 20% of drivers use a Voi scooter instead of a cart.”Many believe that e-scooters can contribute to an environmentally friendly solution to urban congestion and pollution. It is also argued that they helped thousands of people avoid public transport during the pandemic.Industry leaders say it is time to legalize and regulate vehicles, as has been done in many other countries.While rental e-scooters are legal in the test programs, there are thousands of private scooters across the country illegally driving our roads.

Penalties for driving an e-scooter dangerously include a £ 300 fine and points on a driver’s license. Photo credit: Tonight

The law makes it clear that they are not allowed to face penalties for drivers with a fine of £ 300 and six points on your driver’s license.London Metropolitan Police chief superintendent Simon Ovens says, “They’re dangerous, they’re illegal … retailers are not branding right now to make this absolutely clear.”The armed forces across the country are seeing a huge increase in police incidents related to e-scooters.

The Tonight program found there were more than 1,055 in 2019 – in 2020 it was almost five times as many at 5,011.It is rare for a society to have to choose a new mode of transport – but that is exactly what is happening now. But before a long-term decision has been made, thousands are already on the way.It is surely now time for politics and regulation to catch up with those little vehicles that are causing such huge disagreements.

E-Scooter: Britain’s New Road Rage? – Today’s show will air on Thursday, May 20th at 7.30pm on ITV and will be available on the ITV Hub after it has aired.

Data source: Freedom of information requests have been sent to local authorities in England tonight who are conducting legal proceedings. Twenty-six councils replied in full and made up more than three-quarters of the trial areas. Freedom of information requests were also sent to the police tonight about incidents involving e-scooters – 30 replied.

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