• [Daily Mirror Icon]
• News
• UK News
• Electric scooters

'E-scooters need to be fully banned and I learnt important lesson first-hand'

While e-scooters are mostly banned on public roads in the UK, the restrictions aren't nearly as strict as they need to be. Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way

[Danielle on e-scooter]

View Image

I would fully support an e-scooter and e-bike ban(Image: Danielle Kate Wroe)

While it may seem convenient to whiz around on an electric scooter on your morning commute, city tours or running errands, I wouldn't recommend it. E-scooters can be incredibly dangerous, and nothing you could ever say to me will make me change my mind after I had an accident on one myself.

Back in 2021, when I was 25, I enjoyed a weekend away with my fianc. As most restrictions had been lifted after the Covid lockdowns, we decided to book a trip to Liverpool. It's where I went to university and holds many amazing memories for me, so we spent the day on e-scooters around Sefton Park.

It was such a fun way to take in the city until things took a turn for the worse. We decided to hire e-scooters again in the evening, which turned out to be a bad idea. Long story short, we were passing through a semi-pedestrian area on the map around Liverpool One when my scooter suddenly sped up to excessive speed, and I came tumbling off.

Thankfully, potentially via divine intervention, I walked away with only a bruised ego, a sore body, and a cracked screen protector on my phone. But this made me think about just how much worse my evening could have ended.

The scooters allow you to reach speeds of up to 15.5mph. This may not sound very fast, but when you're travelling with just your body, and no protection, and no helmet, it can be catastrophic.

E-scooters, the law and public opinion

The UK operates under a strict two-tier legal system for electric scooters. Privately owned e-scooters are illegal to ride on any public road, pavement, or cycle lane, while government-approved rental e-scooters can be ridden legally on public roads and cycle lanes within designated trial zones.

However, I'm not the only person to think these rules need to be tightened. A recent survey by Tiger.co.uk found that 61% of Britons think e-bikes and e-scooters are too dangerous. Meanwhile, 44% say they should be banned altogether.

According to the Department of Transport, there were 1,312 collisions involving e-scooters in 2024. There were 1,390 casualties in collisions involving e-scooters. There were six deaths in the same year, which went up to ten in 2025, according to The Guardian.

These figures are startling but I genuinely don't believe most people understand the danger e-scooters can pose, especially on roads. It's potentially enormous for both riders and pedestrians.

I watched a video of a woman on TikTok, KB, who fared a lot worse than I did when she came off an e-scooter, suffering with serious injuries, and someone left a comment on her video, saying: "Holy s***. Im so thankful you are alive and okay. Im so terrified of those [e-scooters] now since working in the hospital".

And it breaks my heart to think of Jacob Calland, a 14-year-old who was riding on the back of an e-scooter his friend was driving in Wythenshawe, when they collided with a car. He tragically suffered irreversible brain injuries and subsequently lost his life in 2025.

His mum, Carly Calland, set up Jacob's Journey to educate parents and young people about the dangers of using illegal e-scooters on public roads. The campaign has partnered with the Greater Manchester Police to share Jacob's story, aiming to prevent other children from making the same split-second decision.

Part of Carly's petition includes a law mandating the use of helmets and other safety equipment, and I couldn't agree more. I know a total ban is probably not feasible, though it's something I would back. At the very least, mandatory helmets should be required.

Carly also wants to introduce licensing and insurance schemes, treating e-scooters like motor vehicles, and to prohibit two people from riding on one e-scooter.

Until the rules are tightened, I sadly believe more accidents will occur. So before you hop on an e-scooter, make sure you properly consider the risks and follow all relevant guidance. For more information, visit the government website.

[Danielle Kate Wroe]

Danielle Kate Wroe

Danielle Kate Wroe is a Senior Social News Reporter for the Content Hubs Social News Desk, serving titles including The Mirror, Daily Star and Express. She also co-authors a newsletter, The Bookish Drop, which is available on Substack. The newsletter serves a book-loving audience with trending news, reviews, and recommendations. Danielle has a special interest in books, beauty, fashion, stories from the LGBTQ+ community, and viral content. In 2025, she was shortlisted for a Celebrating Brilliant Journalism award for her commitment to representing LGBTQ+ communities across the UK through her work. Previously, she worked as a Lifestyle Writer for The Mirror, and started her journalism career in 2020 as a Senior Community Content Curator at InYourArea.

[Daily Mirror Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.