Here's why you can't ride electric scooters in the UK (yet)

Although the Government is reviewing the legislation around electric scooters, it's not actually legal to ride them in the UK yet, whether that's on the pavement or in the road. 

The UK is starting to stand out on this front, given they're perfectly legal in other European countries as well as in the US.

UK law currently states that you cannot ride it on the pavement, in the road or even in a cycle lane. In fact, the only place you will be able to scoot around on one is on private land.

What stops you riding an electric scooter in the UK?

The 1835 Highways Act restricts the use of Personal Light Electric Vehicles (PLEV) to private land in the UK. Yes, 1835.

Electric scooters are classified as a carriage and the 165-year-old UK law bans carriages from public footways. It is deemed illegal for the following:

"If any person shall wilfully ride upon any footpath or causeway by the side of any road made or set apart for the use or accommodation of foot passengers; or shall wilfully lead or drive any horse, ass, sheep, mule, swine, or cattle or carriage of any description, or any truck or sledge, upon any such footpath or causeway; or shall tether any horse, ass, mule, swine, or cattle, on any highway, so as to suffer or permit the tethered animal to be thereon."

You cannot ride in the road either as two-wheeled electric scooters are not classified as roadworthy by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the body that issues UK driving licenses and documentation for road-going vehicles.

Will they become legal eventually? 

As we've reported elsewhere, the UK Government will begin consultation on legalising electric scooters in February 2020, with the aim to start trials soon after that.

The change has presumably been brought about because people are already riding them and so a legal framework is needed.

However, any eventual legalisation is expected to introduce a speed restriction to 15.5mph. Riders will also no doubt be required to wear a helmet, too. 

There may also be further restrictions around where hired scooters can be placed given the tight legal framework around other private hire vehicles. That could be an advantage because hire scooters often litter streets in some cities such as Los Angeles. 

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