Concerns from Wiltshire Police over 'accepted' use of illegal e-scooters
They're being blamed for more children being given penalties for driving a vehicle without insurance
A Wiltshire Police Inspector has told Greatest Hits Radio that children using e-scooters are putting themselves in danger.
The devices are being blamed by some for a rise in IN10 penalty notices being handed out to children for using a vehicle on the road without insurance.
DVLA data shows 375 13-16 year olds were given the penalty in 2024 by Police across the country.
Electric Scooters are illegal in the UK as they cannot be insured, but Neighbourhoods Policing Inspector, Joe Senior, believes there's a growing general 'acceptance' of their use in society.
"We do see the consistent use of these scooters by both adults and children, and we have done so for some time," he said.
Inspector Senior said that the Force is doing everything it can to spread the message and educate young people about the use of e-scooters, with can only be used on private land.
"People see them around, see other people using them and they come to accept that perhaps they're not technically legal, but other people are getting away with it., and my concern is that that is increasing," he said.
And with more children using the devices, the Inspector told us they're putting themselves at risk of injury.
Insp Senior said: "You are giving electrically powered vehicles to children who do not have, necessarily, the skill set, they don't have the licences, they might not always have the road sense to be driving these things on the road.
"There's a legal standpoint, but there's also a basic safety standpoint, which is that, we need to stop children using them because they are dangerous."
He also told us that retailers are partly to blame for the increased use of e-scooters.
Websites selling the products do state that the devices are illegal on UK roads and pathways, but then promote how they can be folded up and taken on public transport.
Insp Senior said the message from retailers is clear: "They've fulfilled their obligation in saying, these devicesare illegal, but I think even the retailers to an extent are selling them with an understanding that they're going to be used on public highways and that's problem."
The Inspector warned that people caught using e-scooters in public spaces face seeing the devices seized by officers, calling for parents to ensure they are aware of the laws around their use and make sure their children are using them where appropriate.
He insists that the Force doesn't want to criminalise children unnecessarily but stressed they're determined to keep everyone safe.