Nearly 800 children have been caught driving or riding without insurance in the last four years, which is partly blamed on the rise in popularity of e-scooters.
According to analysis of official statistics, by the road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, one in 10 were aged 14 or below.
It says that DVLA figures show 375 children aged between 13 and 16 were issued with an IN10 endorsement – the offence code for using an uninsured vehicle – last year. This compares to just 17 in 2021.
Despite a rise in the popularity of e-scooters, they remain illegal on public roads or in public spaces and it is not possible to get insurance.
IAM RoadSmart says this means police will seize them and the rider will be penalised for having no insurance.
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The only legal route to using e-scooters on roads is via trials which are operating across 22 regions in England, although the age requirement for hiring one is typically 16 or older. There are currently no rental schemes in Scotland or Wales.
IAM RoadSmart says the status of e-scooters is problematic: “Although it’s illegal to ride a privately-owned e-scooter on public roads, they are widely available for sale,” said director of policy and standards Nicholas Lyes.
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“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,” he added.
The charity estimates that more than 750,000 private e-scooters have been bought, some as gifts for children, but parents may wrongly believe they can be used on the roads.
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Meanwhile, uninsured driving and riding among young motorists is continuing to increase, according to IAM RoadSmart, which blames the cost of insurance.
The charity says a freedom of information request to the DVLA revealed there were 7,234 IN10 endorsements handed to people aged 17-21 last year, more than double the total of 3,340 in 2021.
In contrast, the number of those over the age of 22 receiving IN10 endorsements has fallen since 2021.
