E-scooter crashes shot up virtually 2,800% in London in the first half of 2021 in contrast to the entirety of 2018, new figures present.
There have been 258 collisions in the capital in the first six months of last year, in accordance to Met Police knowledge.
Across all of 2018, there have been simply 9. The quantity rose to 38 the following year, earlier than a spike to 266 in 2020.
Dozens of individuals injured after being hit by e-scooters in UK last year, figures reveal
Privately-owned e-scooters are a widespread sight on roads and pavements in UK cities, despite the fact that they will solely be legally used on personal land.
Some 3,637 of the scooters have been seized by the Met Police between January and November 2021, and any house owners wanting to retrieve them should pay £150 and a £10 every day storage cost.
Last June, London joined dozens of cities and cities throughout the UK in launching an e-scooter rental scheme below authorities trials, which started in July 2020.
These contain a number of security measures, resembling most pace limits and computerized lights.
Transport for London (TfL) banned personal e-scooters on its community last month after one burst into flames at Parsons Green Tube station.
Figures ‘possible simply the tip of the iceberg’
The new knowledge was obtained by Labour’s London Assembly policing and crime spokesman, Unmesh Desai.
Mr Desai, who bought the figures in response to a query to London mayor Sadiq Khan, mentioned: “The use of illegal e-scooters on our roads and pavements is putting Londoners at risk of significant harm, especially the most vulnerable in our communities such as people with limited mobility, visual impairments and hearing loss.
“Whilst it’s regarding that these figures are possible to be simply the tip of the iceberg, it has been encouraging to see the scale of enforcement motion taken by TfL and the Met Police thus far.
“My message to Londoners is that the only legal way to use an e-scooter in the capital is through the trial being run by TfL and London councils in certain boroughs.”
A 74-year-old was killed on New Year’s Day when he crashed his e-scooter into two parked vehicles in Manchester.