E-Scooters - the law and the consequences.

I have received reports from concerned residents of Long Riston of school-aged youngsters from the village riding e-scooters on the narrow lanes coming into the village, with little regard for their own safety, never mind anyone else's. 

Aside of the fact that it is illegal to use these motor vehicles on a public road, as they require a rider to hold a driving licence and insurance, neither of which are obtainable in the UK for this kind of vehicle, there are also serious road safety concerns here. 

Cycles and motorcycles are vulnerable on the roads due to their size and lack of presence on the road, so imagine how “invisible” a rider is on a scooter. Whin's Lane, for example is only wide enough for one vehicle, and we know that drivers often drive at inappropriate, while not necessarily illegal, speeds along it. A 2 ton Land Rover, versus a child on an e-scooter does not even bear thinking about. 

If your children have these scooters, please remember to ensure that they only use them on private land with the land-owner's permission. Furthermore, many young people do not have enough knowledge of roadcraft in order to be using public roads, busy or otherwise. Please consider the potential consequences of them using these vehicles on a public road: the best case scenario being your child getting points on a licence they are not even legally old enough to obtain, and the worst being something none of us wants to even imagine. 

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