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UK Retailers Sell Private E-Scooters with Legal Warnings After Removing Some Commuting References
The Independent reported that Currys, Argos, Halfords and Amazon promote privately owned e-scooters with references to work travel and urban riding. UK law restricts such vehicles to private land only. Government data recorded 10 deaths and 1,484 injuries from e-scooter collisions in England last year.
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Major British retailers continue to market privately owned e-scooters using language that suggests commuting and urban travel, even though current UK law bans their use on roads, pavements and cycle lanes. ” Up to 950,000 such vehicles are believed to be privately owned in England.
” Halfords, Argos and Currys each place legal warnings on product pages stating that private e-scooters may not be used on public roads or pavements.
After contact from the Press Association, Argos removed commuting references from a search page. Currys said it is reviewing listings to ensure none suggest public-road use. Amazon stated its guidelines require advertisements to avoid images of riders on roads or pavements and to include a legal note.
The department is reviewing operations in trial areas to inform future legislation. East London coroner Graeme Irvine, in a prevention of future deaths report following the 2022 inquest into the death of 14-year-old Fatima Abukar, noted that some retailers provide written warnings about illegal use while others do not, and that existing warnings are often not prominent.
In June, police forces conducted a coordinated crackdown on illegal use.
Northamptonshire Police launched its own operation this month after a five-year-old boy suffered a fractured skull in a collision.
