How many e-scooter related accidents and casualties were there in the West Midlands last year?

Love them or loathe them, e-scooters have become part of the tapestry of city life for a while now.

To some they’re an environmentally friendly and efficient way to travel across cities, to others they’re a blight to our public pathways.

And now, new data has revealed how e-scooter related accidents and casualties occurred in 2021.

The research collected UK police data on e-scooter accidents and casualties in 2021, along with how many e-scooters local police forces have been confiscating over this period.

What do the figures show?

The West Midlands reported 71 e-scooter related accidents and four casualties during 2021.

That’s according to new research from the personal injury team at national law firm, Simpson Millar.

Of the police data collected, Simpson Millar found that Avon and Somerset had the highest number of reported incidents involving e-scooters, with 85 accidents and 92 casualties reported.

Meanwhile Dorset had 58 reported e-scooter accidents take place in the year.

When looking at the areas with the lowest number of recorded accidents, Heddlu Gwent Police in Wales recorded just one e-scooter accident and six casualties between January 2021 to February 2022.

In the West Midlands, the data revealed that from 1 January 2021 to 1 February 202, police had confiscated 235 e-scooters. With the most incidents reported in Aston, Birmingham.

The e-scooter trial was launched in Birmingham in September 2020, after the Department for Transport announced that e-scooter trials would be allowed to take place across the country as part of a package of measures in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

What do the people of Birmingham think of e-scooters?

The research comes after it was revealed that more than half of those living in the West Midlands strongly believe e-scooters are not safe on public roads and cause traffic accidents.

Figures from National Accident Helpline show that more than half of residents living in the West Midlands believe that e-scooters are not safe on public roads and cause traffic accidents (58%).

E-scooters that have been available for rent across the UK typically have a maximum speed of 15.5 mph and can be hired by those with a provisional driving licence, meaning that riders must be aged at least 15 years and 9 months.

The governmental e-scooter rental trials were set to end on 31 March 2022, however trials have been extended to 30 November 2022 for local authorities who want to continue with the programme.

What’s been said about the data?

Simon Stanfield, Partner and Head of Road Accident Claims at Simpson Millar said: “With the rise in e-scooters on UK roads, unfortunately there are more opportunities for accidents and personal injury.

“Small wheels, lack of mirrors or indicators, and how quiet e-scooters are when running can all contribute to potential incidents. And with no seatbelt, windscreen and just one brake, accidents could lead to serious injuries.”

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