Robust regulations and enforcement are needed around the use of e-scooters, according to insurance industry bodies. They said Government figures showed that in the year ending June 2021 there were 882 accidents involving e-scooters across Britain.
This resulted in 931 casualties, the equivalent of 17 people every week, of whom 732 were e-scooter users. In a joint letter to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, the International Underwriting Association of London (IUA), the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (Biba), and the Lloyd’s Market Association (LMA) reiterated support for alternative forms of transport throughout Britain in the shift towards a greener transport network.
But the groups said there were concerns about a significant risk to all road users, pedestrians and e-scooter users until there is robust regulation around the wider use of e-scooters beyond current official trials. James Dalton, director, general insurance policy, ABI, said: “The insurance industry is committed to working with government to ensure e-scooter regulation strikes the right balance between ensuring public safety on the one hand and encouraging innovative approaches to transport on the other.”
