Three year old child injured after being hit by e-scooter ridden by teenager in Peterborough city centre

A three year old child was hurt after they were hit by an e-scooter being ridden by a teenager in Peterborough city centre.

The incident happened in Westgate on Saturday.

Riding e-scooters on public roads and paths is illegal unless it is part of an official scheme – there is no such scheme running in Peterborough.

A Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said: “We were called at 4.23pm on Saturday (18 November) with reports of a collision involving an e-scooter and a child in Westgate, Peterborough.

“The three-year-old child was taken to hospital for treatment on minor injuries and was released later that day.

“Officers issued words of advice to the 14-year-old boy who was riding the e-scooter and his parents.”

The police spokesperson said it was not clear if the scooter had been confiscated.

The law and e-scooters

E-scooters fall within the legal definition of a ‘motor vehicle’, therefore laws that apply to motor vehicles also apply to powered transporters.

Illegal use:

– on a public road without complying with a number of legal requirements including insurance; conformity with technical standards and standards of use; payment of vehicle tax, licensing, and registration; driver testing and licensing; and the use of relevant safety equipment

– some of the same restrictions set out above apply to other spaces which are accessible to the public, such as car parks, public squares which are not restricted to pedestrian use, privately-owned roads, industrial estates, and university campuses

– in spaces set aside for use by pedestrians, cyclists, and horse-riders; this includes on pavements, in cycle lanes and on bridleways or restricted byways. On a pavement, there are special legal exceptions for mobility scooters and wheelchairs

Legal use:

– on private land with the land owner’s permission

– part of a government trial

Anyone who uses a powered transporter on a public road or other prohibited space in breach of the law is committing a criminal offence and can be prosecuted.

Penalties for illegal use:

breaches of the law relating to motor vehicle use are generally criminal offences enforced by police. The potential penalties depend on the nature and gravity of the offence, and sentences range from fines and penalty points, to disqualification from driving.