E-Scooters

Good morning,

While carrying out speed checks yesterday afternoon in the village, I noticed an e-scooter heading into the village from the direction of Burstwick. The rider clearly also noticed me, and spent around 30 minutes circling the road just around the bend from me. This in itself was extremely dangerous, due to that stretch of road being National Speed Limit and the majority of traffic travelling at 50 to 60mph. 

A short time later, the rider eventually braved riding through the village, where I stopped him and spoke to him. With him being a little lad, probably around 12 years old, it seemed proportionate to take him and his machine home, have a chat with parents and advise that it be used only on private land. However, this suggestion was rejected by the young man, who shot off across Main Road at a great rate of knots, and eventually into fields off Back Lane. The speed at which he was travelling both on and off road would suggest to me that the scooter was well over the 250W that classifies these things as toys. 

Aside of the illegality of the matter, a child with no road experience, very limited knowledge of the Highway Code and (clearly knowing he is in the wrong) trying to make a getaway from the Police riding one of these contraptions is a recipe for disaster. It was neither proportionate, nor justifiable, nor safe to follow him, and he was allowed to make good his escape. 

If this was your child, then please please please ensure that he only uses it on private land, because 6 points on a licence he does not yet have is bad enough, but the other consequences do not bear thinking about. 

If your children have these, please do not allow them out on public roads, footpaths, tracks or parks, and the best advice is not to buy them in the first place! 

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