Latest research from the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety has found that ten people were killed and another 133 seriously injured on e-scooters in Britain last year.

PACTS has been awarded a grant by the Road Safety Trust to collect data relating to incidents involving these micro-mobility devices and to form recommendations for their construction and use. While there are a number of e-scooter rental trials ongoing in the UK, private e-scooters remain illegal to use other than on private land.

Its preliminary figures for last year show 350 injury collisions within the UK, including 47 head injuries. The ten deaths last year is a sharp increase on the three recorded across 2019 and 2020 combined. Injuries do not only include the riders themselves but pedestrians who are hit by e-scooters while walking on pavements.

PACTS says it is working with partners from a broad spectrum of backgrounds and fields of expertise to gather data on e-scooter casualties. It will then publish a report on its findings and host a webinar detailing recommendations.

“If e-scooter use on roads and in other public places is to be legalised, PACTS wants that legislation to include evidence-based safety measures to protect the riders and other road users,” PACTS says. “With those collaborating on this project, we are committed to taking a robust, balanced and objective approach to this new mode of transport.”

Transport Minister Trudy Harrison, whose brief includes active travel, has previously committed to taking time to consider the findings and recommendations from PACTS and to meet to discuss views.

The PACTS data spreadsheet is available here.

(Picture – PACTS)