More than 230 pedestrians were injured with one killed after being hit by an e-scooter in the last year – while 12 riders died in crashes
- The Department for Transport provisional figures were revealed yesterday
One pedestrian was killed and more than 230 injured after being hit by an e-scooter in the last year, new figures released by the Department for Transport show.
Out of 234 collisions, on 60 occasions the pedestrian was either seriously hurt or injured.
Amongst those injured was Linda Davis, 71, who tragically died after a 14-year-old driving a privately-owned scooter at 20mph on a pavement hit her in Rainworth, Nottinghamshire last June.
Mrs Davis, who was known as Lou, succumbed to the fatal head injury six days later.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving in March, but was spared jail by Nottingham youth court instead being handed a 12-month referral order and being banned from driving for five years.
Linda Davis, 71, was tragically killed last June after a 14-year-old e-scooter rider crashed into her on a pavement in Rainworth, Nottinghamshire
There were 234 collisions between pedestrians and e-scooter riders. On 60 occasions the pedestrian was either seriously hurt or injured, according to new figures released by the Department for Transport
Out of those 12 people killed in crashes, 11 were e-scooter riders who died following a collision. Pictured: File photo of electric scooter crash
In total 1,446 people were harmed by e-scooter crashes last year, including those driving the vehicles.
Of those hurt, 1,106 were e-scooter riders who had been hurt in the crashes, 233 pedestrians and 47 cyclists.
Out of those 12 people killed in crashes, 11 were e-scooter riders who died following a collision.
This was a large jump from 2020 when 484 people were hurt from crashes with only one person dying.
The number of pedestrian collisions resulting in injury has increased slightly since 2021’s figure of 229.
However, the figure has increased fourfold since 2020 when there were only 57 incidents.
The data has been released by the Department for Transport as part of their provisional data on road collisions for 2022. The confirmed report will be released by September 2023.
Private e-scooters cannot be legally ridden on roads or pavements in the UK but have become a common sight, particularly in urban areas.
In total, including those riding the e-scooters, 1,446 people were harmed by e-scooter crashes last year
Channel 4 and YouTube star Emily Hartridge, 35, who died after a collision with a lorry while riding an e-scooter in 2019, is thought to be the first person in Britain to have died involving the vehicle
Number of thieves fleeing on e-scooters has TREBLED in a year with 300 gadgets stolen in London alone every day
Trials of rental e-scooters on roads in dozens of towns and cities across England are ongoing.
Steve Gooding, direction of the RAC Foundation, said: ‘As the e-scooter trials rumble on these figures show that the vehicles are in frequent use – and apparently all-too frequent collisions – across the whole country. Real life is very quickly getting ahead of legislation.
‘As ministers ponder the future of these devices, it is important councils are better funded to keep highway surfaces up to scratch so all road users – not least those on two wheels – don’t fall foul of the rash of potholes which remain far too common.’
The figures come as two thirds of Britons want the vehicles banned from public roads, while three-quarters think a driving licence and insurance should be a requirement for using one, a survey by the National Accident Helpline found.
In 2019, Britain recorded what is thought to have been the country’s first fatal electric scooter accident.
Channel 4 and YouTube star Emily Hartridge, 35, was involved with a collision while riding an e-scooter near her home in Battersea, South London.
She was the first of 31 lives claimed in the last four years after being involved with an e-scooter.
On top of that thousands have been injured since 2019 and according to an Association of Paediatric Emergency Medicine report in the British Medical Journal, the average age of those treated for injuries involving electric scooters is just 12-years-old.
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