NORTH WALES Police have seized 81 e-scooters involved in illegal or antisocial activity in the past four years, according to newly uncovered figures, with numbers ramping up over the last 18 months,
The increased use of e-scooters has led to complaints around the country, leading to a petition sent to the government that has close to 15,000 signatures.
Under the current law, it is illegal to use a privately owned e-scooter on public land. Some towns and cities operate rental e-scooter schemes, with only provisional or full driving licence holders permitted to use them.
But data collected by Personal Injury Claims UK suggests that illegal e-scooter use is still rife, especially in North Wales.
North Wales Police told Personal Injury Claims UK that 14 e-scooters were seized by officers from April 2021 to March 2022.
There were then 10 seizures completed the year after. And in 2023/24, 18 e-scooters were taken off the streets.
In the most recently completed reporting period, 2024/25, the force stepped up their efforts, carrying out 39 seizures.
That’s more than double the total from any of the three year-long periods before it.
In July, North Wales Police said that they had already completed 16 e-scooter seizures in the year to date–more than in the entire 2021/22 and 2022/23 periods.
Because insurance companies do not offer coverage for privately owned e-scooters, the police can seize the vehicle under the Road Traffic Act as uninsured vehicles are not allowed on UK roads.
The penalty issued for riding an uninsured e-scooter in public could be as high as £300 and six points added to your licence.
Police officers can also seize e-scooters involved in crimes or ‘antisocial’ behaviour.
Personal Injury Claims UK gathered data from 29 forces in England and Wales, finding that 5,544 e-scooters have been taken off the streets since 2023.
The government provided a response to the petition calling for greater e-scooter regulation, saying: “A second national evaluation of the e-scooter trials is currently underway, focusing on user and public safety, accessibility impacts and how e-scooters can be safely and effectively integrated into the wider transport network.
“The Government is giving the police stronger powers to stop vehicles being used disruptively, with officers no longer required to issue a warning before seizing illegally owned private e-scooters. This will allow them to deal swiftly with dangerous e-scooters on pavements.
“New Respect Orders will give the police and local councils powers to ban persistent offenders from certain areas where they are causing harm, and failure to comply with Respect Orders will be a criminal offence.”
E-scooters have been consistently linked to harmful accidents, with government figures showing that 416 people were seriously injured by collisions involving e-scooters in 2023.
North Wales Police figures also revealed that e-scooters were involved in 10 road traffic collisions between April 2022 and March this year.
That includes one incident on Foryd Road in Kinmel Bay last June, and one on Market Street in Ruthin this January.
If an e-scooter rider is responsible for a collision, they face the same consequences as someone driving a car, which can include paying personal injury compensation if someone is hurt.
Personal Injury Claims UK is a firm of personal injury claim specialists with experience in handling road traffic accident cases, including claims against uninsured drivers like e-scooter riders.
Their 24/7 phone service and live chat feature are both free to use.
