Newslink January 2022

Opponents against the use of e-scooters
have been given more ammunition after
a leading charity launched a campaign
against their introduction, while figures
for a major city hospital highlighted the
extent of their involvement in injuries.
As revealed in December’s Newslink,
for the first time in September 2021, the
DfT published statistics showing the
number of casualties in collisions
involving e-scooters. The figures, which
cover rental and privately-owned
e-scooters, show that during 2020 there
were 460 collisions involving e-scooters,
resulting in 484 casualties.
But figures are also now available for
the 12-months to June 2021, and these
show 931 casualties – a near doubling.
The DfT acknowledges that it is “not
yet able to fully assess the quality of the
e-scooter data captured, in terms of
consistency of recording practice for
e-scooters across different police forces,
so data should be treated with caution.”
The figures are ‘drastically’ underreported,
the National Federation of the
Blind UK (NFBUK) has said. The
advocacy group has launched a
vociferous campaign against e-scooters.
In a new campaign podcast, titled
‘E-scooters: the dangers they pose for
visually impaired people’, the NFBUK
points to statistics published by the
Parliamentary Advisory Council for
Transport Safety (PACTS) as part of an
ongoing research project to assess their
safety. The project is gathering data of
casualties involving private e-scooters
(riders and other road users) collected
from the media, police forces and at
least one major trauma centre.
The figures show that at three A&E
departments in Bristol there were
90 e-scooter-related injuries
in four weeks in May-June
2021 – equating to 3.2
patients a day. However,
DfT data shows that Avon
and Somerset Police only
reported 21 e-scooter
casualties for the sixmonth
period January-June
2021.
Moreover, nearly 20 per cent
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‘Terrifying’ rise in e-scooter crashes
of those who attended one the Bristol
A&E departments suffered head injuries
– with three patients sustaining severe
traumatic brain injury, intracranial
haemorrhage or a skull fracture.
Sarah Gayton, street access campaign
coordinator at the NFBUK, said: “These
figures are terrifying.
“It appears the price for the e-scooter
trial in Bristol – and allowing the ongoing
use of illegal e-scooters on the streets
– is being paid by those who are now
living with life changing injuries.
“This has to stop; the accident rate is
horrific and Bristol Council should take
immediate action to halt the trial.
The DfT says in future,
e-scooter casualties will be
better captured as part of a
new ‘powered personal
transporter’ category –
being introduced as part
of a recent STATS19
review.
The DfT is also liaising
with PACTS as part of their
project.
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