Scooters are everywhere. The small children in Thanet are getting lots of healthy exercise scooting up and down the seafront.
Since my legs stopped working my life has been transformed by using a mobility scooter.
Unfortunately, my friend Anne’s (not her real name) life has also been transformed by a different kind of scooter – an e-scooter. It very nearly took her life when it zoomed out of the darkness knocked her to the ground while scooter and rider landed on top of her.
Most scooter accidents involve only the rider – you’re very vulnerable with no helmet and only a narrow board in heavy traffic. But there have been horrific stories around the country. A pensioner was killed by a scooter as she stepped onto the pavement from behind a parked van. The fourteen year old rider, doing around 20 mph didn’t see her and she wasn’t expecting a fast vehicle on the pavement. She died in hospital later of her injuries. The contrite rider had called an ambulance and was devastated by what he’d done. Too late
Another story – scooter at night, elderly pedestrian. Serious encounter. He was only saved from head injury by his rucksack but he was bruised all over and his arm was so badly broken it had to be pinned together in three places. The rider had no helmet or lights or insurance, or registration number and must have been doing well over ten miles an hour on the pavement – lucky he went into a pedestrian who softened his fall and not a lamppost.
Most e-scooter accidents damage the rider but a huge number are not recorded in official road accident figures. This is calculated by comparing hospital records with accident records, according to a parliamentary report (link below): “hospital data is already showing worrying trends in injuries to the head, face and spine from scooter accidents.”
My scooter only does the equivalent of a fast walk (which I will never do again!), about four miles an hour maximum, but I usually go much slower. My scooter is only welcome on the road when the pavement is not available. I am the equivalent of a pedestrian or a pushchair – think of it as a granny pram.
I have insurance to cover rescuing me if I break down – important because I can’t just walk instead – theft, and third party – in case I run into someone.
It’s not clear what the rules are with e-scooters. They can go at much faster speeds than mine, usual top speed 25 mph, and can be tweaked to go really fast – believe me, I’m tempted…..
There are estimated to be nearly one million e-scooters in the UK now and they were responsible for at least 12 deaths in 2022 alone and thousands of injuries.
E-scooters can only be used under very restricted circumstances – and hard to understand! You can own one but not use it anywhere publicly, only on private land. Or can you? You probably need a diving license. In some cities you can still rent them and that seems to be OK but …..
You know what, I don’t care! I want them banned. They’re dangerous, unnecessary, a stupid use of technology. Toys for healthy adults who could be walking or cycling (with a helmet and lights etc), or just kick scooting like most of Thanet’s small children. Why would anyone want to stand on a narrow plank and do 40mph through heavy traffic? Think of the wonderful things that could be made instead. Wheelchairs that hover, robots to clean your floor and walk your dog, self making beds…. We’ll all have our list but let’s just eliminate these ridiculous machines first!
The day after my friend Anne’s mishap, I was overtaken by a young man zooming along on the pavement, with a toddler standing on the footplate in front of him. No helmets, no horn. Enormous fun and desperately dangerous!
Help me get them banned!
https://www.pacts.org.uk/comparing-police-and-hospital-e-scooter-casualty-datasets/
