E-scooters blamed for 2100% jump in cases of uninsured children on roads
Nearly 800 children have been caught driving or riding on UK roads without insurance in the past four years, a figure that is being blamed on the boom in electric scooters.
New data analysis by IAM Roadsmart has revealed a 2,100% increase in cases of under-17s receiving uninsured driving endorsements since 2021, with one in 10 of those aged 14 or under.
Because they are motorised, e-scooters require the same insurance as a car or bike, but there are strict limitations on those eligible for cover.
While e-scooters can be used without insurance on private land, only those being used in approved trial schemes can legally be ridden in public spaces. Private e-scooters are not approved for use on public roads and are, therefore, uninsurable. If someone is found using a private e-scooter in public, police can seize the scooter and report them for using a vehicle without insurance.
According to data obtained by IAM Roadsmart via a Freedom of Information request, in 2024 alone, 375 teenagers aged 13 to 16 were issued an IN10 endorsement – the code used by the police for ‘using a vehicle uninsured against third party risks’. This compares to just 17 in 2021.
While some of those will be for driving a car or using a motorbike, IAM Roadsmart believes the majority are linked to scooters. Public trials of legal e-scooters began in 2020 but the same period has seen a huge growth in private e-scooter ownership. It is estimated that there are more than three-quarters of a million privately owned e-scooters in the UK.
IAM RoadSmart’s Director of Policy and Standards Nicholas Lyes said the figures showed an urgent need for legislation covering private e-scooters.
He said: “The number of children caught driving or riding without insurance is shocking and is likely to be down to those riding e-scooters. Although it’s illegal to ride a privately owned e-scooter on public roads, they are widely available for sale. It’s estimated that more than 750,000 private e-scooters have been bought.
“The government needs to urgently bring forward legislation on private e-scooters, which must include minimum type approval device standards, speed limiters and proposals for riders to have a minimum level of competency.”
The figures were published as part of a wider study into uninsured drivers. It also found a sharp rise in those aged 17-21 driving or riding without insurance. Since 2021, the number of 17-year-olds caught driving or riding without insurance has rising by more than 700% compared, something IAM Roadsmart attributed to rising insurance costs and squeezed household budgets.
