Shocking moment e-scooter driver rides along a busy dual carriageway, weaving in and out of traffic and hitting speeds of 50mph
- The man, who was riding through Dundee, was spotted travelling at 50mph
- Video footage showed the man performing stunts on the A927 on January 31
- Private e-scooters are currently banned from use on public roads and parks
A man on an e-scooter was spotted speeding along a busy dual carriageway and weaving through traffic at 50mph.
The shocking video footage even shows him doing wheelies and standing on one leg as he approaches a roundabout.
Driving groups have slammed the rider as dangerous and irresponsible – saying he could have endangered himself and other motorists.
The e-scooter rider was spotted travelling at speeds of up to 50mph on the outskirts of Dundee
At one moment during the stunt, the rider pulled a wheelie despite being on the main road
The video was taken during rush hour on January 31 on the A972 Kingsway dual carriageway to the north of Dundee in Scotland.
In the video the rider can be seen zooming around a roundabout and under a pedestrian bridge as well as doing a wheelie and standing on one leg.
A car passenger who filmed the youngster said it was one of the most dangerous things she had ever seen.
She added: ‘He came up behind our car, we didn’t know what it was.
‘He overtook us so quickly and we were doing the speed limit – 40mph – so he was obviously going a lot faster.
‘He was also wearing a bobble hat instead of a helmet and doing wheelies, crouching down, basically showboating all the way along.
‘It was very dangerous, he was messing around and showing off.
‘If he’d come off the scooter it could have caused a serious accident with the amount of cars on the road at peak time.’
E-scooters became legal on roads in the UK in July, but only if they are obtained through a share scheme.
Riding privately owned e-scooters on public roads or footpaths remains illegal.
One passenger filmed the youngster and said it was one of the most dangerous things she had ever seen
The Transport Select Committee has urged the government to legalise them on roads to cut congestion, slash air pollution and encourage exercise.
Several UK cities have expressed an interest in becoming ‘escooter cities’ – allowing people to move around quickly in an environmentally friendly way.
Most hireable e-scooters cannot go faster than 15mph – making it likely that the one seen in this video is an illegal one that should not be used on public highways.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, says; ‘Using an e-scooter on a fast-moving dual carriageway is incredibly dangerous.
‘While they could play a mobility role in the future, here and now privately owned e-scooters are illegal to use in public.
‘E-scooters involved in trials across the country are capped at 15.5 mph and are restricted to roads cyclists can use.
‘This rider is well above this maximum limit and makes himself an obvious target should the police be close by.’
Can you legally use an e-scooter on the road or on the pavement?
According to the Department of Transport, e-scooters are classed as ‘powered transporters’ and meet the legal definition of a ‘motor vehicle’.
They must therefore meet a number of requirements in order to be used on the road, including having insurance and conforming to ‘technical standards.’
Privately owned e-scooters are considered illegal to use on roads in Britain. The Metropolitan Police has said riders risk being fined or even having penalty points added to their licence.
Riders also risk having their e-scooters seized by police if obtained through a share scheme
In May 2019, the Metropolitan Police ran an operation in London seizing e-scooters which were being illegally used on the city’s streets
The Met has warned e-scooter users from riding their machines on the road
The Department of Transport said e-scooters are covered by the 1988 Road Traffic Act, which also includes Segways, hoverboards, go-peds (combustion engine-powered kick scooters), powered unicycles, and u-wheels’.
The ban does not apply to electrically-assisted pedal bicycles.
According to the Department of Transport: ‘For motor vehicles to use public roads lawfully, they must meet a number of different requirements. These include insurance; conformity with technical standards and standards of use; payment of vehicle tax, licensing, and registration; driver testing and licensing; and the use of relevant safety equipment.
‘If the user of a powered transporter could meet these requirements, it might in principle be lawful for them to use public roads. However, it is likely that they will find it very difficult to comply with all of these requirements, meaning that it would be a criminal offence to use them on the road.’
E-scooters are also banned from using pavements under the 1835 Highway Act.
E-scooters can be used on private land with the landowner’s permission.
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