E-Scooters - know the law!

Our local Kent Police beat officer, PC Steve Putland, has sent the following message regarding the the law surrounding E-scooters.

Further to my post on 07/02/2024 regarding the law surrounding E-scooters please take note of the following and if you know anyone that has an E-scooter but won't see this post please tell them.

Quite a lot of E-scooters have been bought as presents for children and kids will be kids and use their presents to their full advantage, who can blame them, we were all kids once!

However, they are not road legal and cannot be ridden on the public highway, this includes roads, pavements or anywhere that the public has access. Quite simply, the only place that an E-scooter can be ridden is if it's on private land with the land owner's permission so anywhere else that's not private would be the equivalent of driving a motor vehicle without third party insurance.

Whether anyone agrees with the laws about E-scooters or not, currently it is illegal to ride it (as above) unless on private land and as the police we have to uphold that law so it's not that we are deliberately trying to spoil anyone's fun, it is doing what we are expected to do.

However, we would rather anyone who has the use of or has bought one for their child to be educated first about the law and E-scooters before we have to seize them.

The photo below is an image of something that I don't want to have to make a habit of but when my 'fair warning' is ignored then I will not give further chances.

Thank you.

Steve Putland

Kent Police, Police Constable, Folkestone Neighbourhood Beat Officer"