In recent years, electric scooters have gradually become a very common means of transportation in every city. In many countries, they appear more and more frequently. Even in European cities such as Paris, thousands of electric scooters are rented every day. But in the UK, the popularity of electric scooters in cities still has to be hindered by British regulations. This article will explain whether electric scooters are legal in the UK and the 2023 UK electric scooter law.
Why is the UK still banning electric scooters?
First of all, it needs to be understood that the UK government has no legal regulations specifically for electric scooters. Electric scooters are classified as "powered transport vehicles" in UK law and regulations, along with products such as hoverboards, "go-peds" and powered unicycles. Electric scooters are considered motor vehicles and are treated the same as motor vehicles such as cars and motorcycles. Therefore, according to the UK's 1998 "Road Traffic Act", electric scooters are not allowed to drive on public roads without a permit.
In addition, as electric scooters are considered motor vehicles under UK law, they need to meet the corresponding legal requirements. This includes, registering and paying the appropriate transport tax (VED) and insurance premiums in the UK. Although electric scooters do not have legal status in the UK, you will need to register and insure your electric scooter to ensure that your electric scooter will not be confiscated or fined during use.
If you break the traffic rules while riding an electric scooter in the UK then you could be fined or penalized. In the UK, there are speed limits when using e-scooters. According to the law, the top speed of electric scooters should not exceed 15.5 mph (25 km/h). Additionally, helmets must be worn when driving e-scooters in the UK and cannot be ridden on footpaths.
It should be noted that the regulations on the use of electric scooters may vary from place to place in the UK. In some areas, electric scooters are considered illegal, while in others they can be registered and used legally. Due to the unclear legal provisions, to understand the specific situation of electric scooters in various places, you must inquire with local government agencies.
Overall, although electric scooters do not currently have a clear legal status in the UK, they are still being recognized as a valid form of transport. If you want to use an electric scooter in the UK, you need to ensure that you have registered and paid the corresponding traffic tax and insurance premiums, try to obey the traffic rules, and understand the local government regulations as much as possible.
Will electric scooters be legalized in 2023?
The last update on this matter was on March 22, 2022, when the department will publish the results of its full set of findings on the experimental evaluation of electric scooters, and until this experiment is successfully completed, we can expect electric scooters to be approved in Used on roads across the UK. And the government stated that it is currently customizing the standards for the manufacturing technology of electric scooters. It is believed that once the new regulations come into force, the government will stipulate that all electric scooters meet some standards in terms of speed, power and lighting. In that case, electric scooters will be officially legalized and more popular in our lives and transportation.
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