Rise in e-scooter accidents two years on from Shakur Pinnock death worries MP

Wolverhampton North East MP Jane Stevenson said it was hugely concerning to hear that e-scooter collisions had increased after figures released by the Department for Transport showed a significant rise in the West Midlands between 2021 and 2022.

The Department for Transport figures showed that 114 casualties were recorded by West Midlands Police last year, up from 67 in 2021 and a significant increase from 12 casualties two years prior.

Ms Stevenson also said that it was still illegal to ride privately owned e-scooters on roads and pavements, despite an ongoing consultation on legalisation.

She said: "It is a huge concern that e-scooter accidents and collisions are increasing.

"It is still against the law to ride privately owned e-scooters on roads or pavements and people must be aware their scooter could be confiscated by police.

"There is currently a Government consultation on legalising them."

The West Midlands follows the overall trend across Great Britain where there is an ever-rising number of e-scooter casualties, with a total of 1,458 casualties involving e-scooters in 2022, up slightly from 1,434 in 2021 and a leap from 484 in 2020.

The statistics also show there were 12 deaths as a result of e-scooter collisions. Of them, 11 were e-scooter users and one was a pedestrian.

Additionally, the figures reveal e-scooter users made up the majority of those severely or slightly injured with 1,106 hurt (76 per cent), while 233 pedestrians were injured (16 per cent).

The remainder were cyclists, or occupants of other motor vehicles.

One casualty was Shakur Pinnock, who died from serious head injuries in June 2021 after colliding with a car on Prestwood Road in Fallings Park.

His mother Celine Fraser-Pinnock has since campaigned for mandatory hazard-perception lessons for riders and a limit of one person a scooter, calling it "Shak's Law".

Ms Stevenson said she had offered her support to Ms Fraser-Pinnock through meeting the Transport Minister and working to help get legislation passed.

She said: "In March I met Transport Minister Jesse Norman with my constituent Celine Fraser-Pinnock, who lost her son Shakur in an e-scooter accident in 2021.

"Celine is campaigning for Shak's Law, asking for measures to keep users safe.

"We had a constructive meeting with the minister, and I hope we will see good legislation soon."

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "Safety is at the heart of our e-scooter trials and privately-owned e-scooters remain illegal to use on the road."

They added the department is committed to protecting all road users and is investing £5 billion from 2020 to 2025 to help local authorities maintain local roads, with an extra £200 million announced in the latest Budget.

Ms Stevenson said she hoped that legalisation would lead to safety measures being introduced for the safety of riders, pedestrians and other road users.

She said: "Anyone riding a bike or on an e-scooter has little protection if involved in a collision.

"When e-scooters are legalised, I hope we'll see people wearing helmets and obeying speed limits.

"E-scooters, like bicycles, have great potential for green travel, but we need riders to be considerate of pedestrians and other road users and to be speed aware."

The RAC Foundation said the rise in e-scooter injuries across Great Britain revealed real life frequent use of the vehicles is getting ahead of e-scooter trials and legislation.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "As the e-scooter trials rumble on these figures show that the vehicles are in frequent use, and apparently all-too frequent collisions, across the whole country.

"Real life is very quickly getting ahead of legislation."