With a wide-ranging review of transport laws announced by the government today (19 March), IAM RoadSmart has warned that the rise in the use of electric scooters alongside vehicles on our roads is bad news for road safety.

The Department for Transport revealed its report 'Future of mobility: urban strategy' today, which is described as the biggest regulatory review in a generation to explore regulation around new transport modes.

The government plans to invest £90 million in towns and cities to test transport innovation, and the review will explore regulations around new types of vehicles including e-scooters and e-cargo bike trailers.

However IAM RoadSmart believes that e-scooters and their increasing popularity will lead to many people riding them on public roads alongside bigger and faster vehicles – and will put individuals, including the scooter users themselves, in great danger.

The charity welcomes a long-term approach to transport planning by the government, but new modes of transport need dedicated routes to be truly safe.

It added that there is a great need for users of e-scooters to embark on some level of basic rider training and awareness before they start.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research, said: “Electric scooters are simply not safe enough to be on our roads alongside full size vehicles.

“Mixing with pedestrians is also potentially very unsafe in shared areas. As with cycling, the answer probably lies in dedicated safe infrastructure for vulnerable road users.  Allied to that there is an urgent need for more for rider training and clarification of their legal status.”

Neil added: “While we welcome this potentially useful announcement, transport changes and trends are happening far faster than the network is developing to accommodate them.

“This ought to have happened a long time ago, and so should be implemented as a matter of urgency.”