Latest news with #Lyes
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
E-scooters blamed for 2,000pc rise in teenagers caught driving or riding without insurance
E-scooters are the reason police have seen a 2,000 per cent rise in the number of children caught riding or driving without insurance, a charity has claimed. Some 375 teenagers aged 13 to 16 have been caught driving or riding without insurance over the past four years, up from just 17 in 2021. IAM Roadsmart, which used freedom of information laws to obtain the data, said the surge was likely to be driven by those riding e-scooters. E-scooters cannot legally be used on public roads unless they are hired from a government-approved company but hundreds of thousands have nonetheless been sold in Britain to date. Nick Lyes, the charity's director of policy and standards, said: 'The number of children caught driving or riding without insurance is shocking and is likely to be down to those riding e-scooters. 'Although it's illegal to ride a privately owned e-scooter on public roads, they are widely available for sale. It's estimated that more than 750,000 private e-scooters have been bought.' Mr Lyes added that some form of licensing ought to be introduced for e-scooter riders, similar to compulsory basic training (CBT) for moped drivers. 'The Government needs to urgently bring forward legislation on private e-scooters, which must include minimum type approval device standards, speed limiters and proposals for riders to have a minimum level of competency,' he said. Riders of e-scooters who are caught using them on public highways are issued a so-called IN10 endorsement for their driving licences, which means police caught them on the road without insurance. The charity collected data on the number of N10 endorsement notices issued from the Driving and Vehicle Licencing Agency. Driving a vehicle without insurance is a criminal offence carrying a penalty of up to £300 and six penalty points on your driving licence. Gaining 12 points generally results in a ban from driving. Sales of e-scooters are technically legal because they can be ridden on private land. Public trials of rentable e-scooters are taking place at 19 locations around the country, with the machines restricted to a top speed of 15.5mph – the same as e-bikes. Insurance is provided by the company renting them out. Riders must hold at least a provisional driving licence to use one on public roads, the Government says. There is also concern about e-scooter riders using their machines while under the influence. 'You should not ride an e-scooter while drunk or otherwise intoxicated – you may be prosecuted under drink or drug driving laws as careless and dangerous driving offences also apply to users of e-scooters,' the webpage about e-scooter trials says. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
The Independent
18-02-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
E-scooters linked to stark increase in teen lawbreaking
A sharp rise in teens caught using a vehicle without insurance has been linked to the increasing popularity of electric scooters. Road safety charity IAM RoadSmart is urging the government to introduce new legislation concerning the scooters. Figures obtained from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) by the charity reveal a stark 2,200 per cent surge in IN10 endorsements – the code for using a vehicle without insurance – issued to children aged 13 to 16. A total of 375 endorsements were issued in 2024, compared to just 17 in 2021. IN10 endorsements are offences that stay on a driver's licence for four years and can result in a fine of £300. 'The number of children caught driving or riding without insurance is shocking and is likely to be down to the those riding e-scooters,' IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards Nicholas Lyes said. It is illegal to ride a privately owned e-scooter on a public road or pavement. However, they are widely available for sale and have become a common sight, particularly in urban areas. Mr Lyes said it was estimated that more than 750,000 private e-scooters had been purchased. 'The government needs to urgently bring forward legislation on private e-scooters, which must include minimum-type approval device standards, speed limiters and proposals for riders to have a minimum level of competency.' Insurance is not available for privately owned e-scooters. Separate Department for Transport (DfT) figures show six people were killed and 416 were seriously injured in crashes in Britain involving at least one e-scooter in 2023. Trials of rental e-scooters on roads in England have been ongoing in towns and cities since July 2020. IAM RoadSmart also found 7,234 IN10 endorsements were handed to people aged 17-21 in 2024. That was more than double the total of 3,340 in 2021. For young car drivers aged 17-24, uninsured driving was likely to be a result of cost pressure, Mr Lyes said. 'Young people pay the largest insurance premiums of all and rely on vehicles for independence and work opportunities. 'While there may be some light at the end of the tunnel with premiums starting to fall, cost will remain a barrier and some may continue to break the law unless we see significant change.' Mr Lyes said there were levers the government could pull. 'Insurance premium tax breaks for those undertaking additional training would be a good start and can be an incentive for new drivers.' A DfT spokesperson said: 'We are carefully considering next steps on e-scooters, but in the meantime private ones remain illegal for use on public roads. 'We are committed to tackling high car insurance costs as part of our Plan for Change to raise living standards across Britain and that's why we have set up a cross-government taskforce to look at how we can help stabilise or reduce premiums.'
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
E-scooters blamed for rise in children caught using a vehicle without insurance
Electric scooters have been blamed for a surge in the number of children caught using a vehicle without insurance. Charity IAM RoadSmart, which made the claim, urged the Government to introduce new legislation on the devices. It obtained DVLA figures showing 375 children aged between 13 and 16 were issued with an IN10 endorsement – the offence code for using an uninsured vehicle – last year. The figure compares with just 17 in 2021. IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards Nicholas Lyes said: 'The number of children caught driving or riding without insurance is shocking and is likely to be down to the those riding e-scooters. 'Although it's illegal to ride a privately-owned e-scooter on public roads, they are widely available for sale. 'It's estimated that more than 750,000 private e-scooters have been bought. 'The Government needs to urgently bring forward legislation on private e-scooters, which must include minimum-type approval device standards, speed limiters and proposals for riders to have a minimum level of competency.' Insurance is not available for privately-owned e-scooters, which cannot be legally ridden on roads or pavements in the UK but have become a common sight, particularly in urban areas. Separate Department for Transport (DfT) figures show six people were killed and 416 were seriously injured in crashes in Britain involving at least one e-scooter in 2023. Trials of rental e-scooters on roads in England have been ongoing in towns and cities since July 2020. IAM RoadSmart also found 7,234 IN10 endorsements were handed to people aged 17-21 last year. That was more than double the total of 3,340 in 2021. Mr Lyes said: 'For car drivers aged 17-24, uninsured driving is likely to be a result of cost pressure. 'Young people pay the largest insurance premiums of all and rely on vehicles for independence and work opportunities. 'While there may be some light at the end of the tunnel with premiums starting to fall, cost will remain a barrier and some may continue to break the law unless we see significant change. 'There are levers the Government can pull. 'Insurance premium tax breaks for those undertaking additional training would be a good start and can be an incentive for new drivers.' A DfT spokesperson said: 'We are carefully considering next steps on e-scooters, but in the meantime private ones remain illegal for use on public roads. 'We are committed to tackling high car insurance costs as part of our Plan for Change to raise living standards across Britain and that's why we have set up a cross-Government taskforce to look at how we can help stabilise or reduce premiums.'
