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We as Humberside Police are urging the public to exercise caution when considering electric scooters (e-scooters) as Christmas presents, highlighting the significant legal implications surrounding their use on public land.
We are issuing a stark warning to prospective shoppers, reminding them that while e-scooters may seem like an appealing gift, privately owned devices remain illegal to use on roads, pavements, and other public spaces across the UK.
Inspector Neil Hutchins from Humberside Police's roads policing team expressed concern over potential wasted expenditure. "The last thing we want is for people to be spending good, hard-earned money on these devices, only for them to be taken off them at a later stage," he stated.
"Whilst they are fantastic bits of kit and might be the perfect gift for Christmas, the realities are there's some legal implications to purchasing one for your loved ones," Insp Hutchins added.
Currently, the only legal way to ride an e-scooter on public land is through government-approved rental schemes, which operate in specific towns and cities and are exclusively available to driving licence holders. For privately owned e-scooters, it is not possible to obtain the necessary insurance, making their use in public areas illegal.
We are clarifying that the use of e-scooters is only permitted on private land with the express permission of the landowner.
Individuals caught using privately owned e-scooters in prohibited locations face consequences ranging from warnings and fines to the seizure of their devices. This enforcement was demonstrated in September when over 20 illegal e-bikes and e-scooters were seized during a police day of action in neighbouring North East Lincolnshire.
Beyond legality, police concerns also extend to public safety. Humberside Police figures reveal that e-scooters were involved in 80 road traffic collisions between April 2022 and March this year.
Insp Hutchins warned of the inherent dangers: "They don't comply with road traffic safety protocols and, as a result of that, you're more likely to get hit by a vehicle or potentially use the device on a footpath and then maybe collide with a pedestrian. It's for these reasons that there's legal implications to using them in public areas."
As the festive season approaches, Humberside Police are advising potential gift-givers to carefully consider these legal and safety issues to avoid disappointment and potential legal trouble for their loved ones. Kind regards | 
