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Hello all, looking for some advice about electric scooters.
My daughter (9) is obsessed with getting one and has saved up her money to buy one. Leaving aside the legal issues with them (and the general laziness factor - in my day we had to expend energy...) does anyone have any advice, knowledge or experience? I know nothing.
Budget around £250 and she does have a 'need for speed'.
Any suggestions on brands and what size motor?
I've seen some 'Pure' branded scooters being sold refurbished/graded for reasonable prices and they seem a known brand(?)
P.s. would it be the worst thing if her old man used it to get to work sometimes - probably not!
Is there a Decathlon nearby? They've got a good selection if you need to test them out.
For what it's worth they are surprisingly heavy with decent momentum when they get going, and are easy to crash if you hit even small potholes with your weight in the wrong place.
Whether you ride it yourself depends on whether your local police force are pricks, because the penalty is a driving without insurance conviction which will be expensive at best and career-limiting at worst.
I am very much a by the book person and it looks as if you really do know the answer. The answer is don't. Very limited legal use and I doubt that few parents have enough to control to keep it limited to legal use so don't do it please.
I know that some will say "but they don't do any real harm" but neither do many other things restricted by law. We still have a social agreement to restrict them and most people see that we cannot have people abiding only by the laws the wish to follow.
No difference at all to me walking my loaded shotgun in public and I doubt that will go down well here. It is, by accepting small personal restrictions , how we have a generally safe and harmonious society.
Avoid the ones with small wheels, larger wheels are much more stable and safer on rough paths. My nephew is 10 and his friends have all got ones of varying quality, some of which are scarily unstable. Even more so when they have the front wheel the wrong way round and it loses it's self-centring ability (same as some of their bikes!). My nephew doesn't have one though as his dad is not happy about their quality and the risk of a LiPo fire (rare and unlikely with a decent brand looked after well but the risk is still there) so he just follows his friends on his bike or borrows a spare from a friend if there is one.
Leaving aside the legal issues with them
I wouldn't ignore this. Definitely explain this to your daughter, about using on the public highway and in parks etc, that she might get into trouble if she acts stupidly with it. Three of my nephew's friends had theirs confiscated after ragging them round their town centre (Brecon so not exactly a big town) and a local reported them to the police.
Oh and at 9 if you do get her one a helmet is a must! They have a habit of firing the riders like a catapult when things go wrong.
Does your council have a scheme for legal scooters, ours does, so you try before buy? As mentioned insurance is an issue if you knock someone.
No difference at all to me walking my loaded shotgun in public and I doubt that will go down well here
It's more like (apart from comparing a kids scooter to a shotgun!) you not being allowed to wander around with your loaded shotgun, but it being perfectly legal for anyone to do the same with a "public hire shotgun" picked up from a docking station on a city centre street.
As for the OP, I wouldn't, but I'm risk averse. As above, you could end up in trouble for driving without insurance/MOT/tax. I think the law is stupid on these, but for as long as it is what it is I wouldn't be risking it.
FFS what are you on!
A loaded shotgun is a very different proposition to a kid on a scooter.
The use of scooters and other unregulated ebikes is now so widespread that it would be difficult to do anything about it now. It's not a great situation but lots of people use these to commute to work and are quite responsible. I would argue for sensible use and power/ speed limits rather than prosecution.
Cars driven by the impatient and dangerous are more of a problem.
I do think that they are definitely an answer to transportation. I'd rather see kids scooter to school than be driven in a two ton car.
BUT
At present they are not legal so there's a whole matter around that that you will need to negotiate both for yourself and your daughter
"I want to take this opportunity to remind people that use of a personal light electric vehicle such as this, or the more common two-wheel scooter, is illegal on the road or a public place, except in official trial areas on trial vehicles.”
The laws really need changing as these scooters ( if they don’t explode) are the answer to our urban transport problems
+1. I think they’re fantastic for ‘last mile’ (ie getting across any town….)
Does your council have a scheme for legal scooters
Not actually an answer in this case as there are age restrictions to these trial hire schemes and you need at least a provisional driving license.
Depending on the stroppyness of the cops she could be charged with numerous offenses and start her driving career with points or a ban with all the implications that means
Driving an unroadworthy vehicle, driving without a license, no insurance etc.
Kids need exercise and forming the habit early pays off massively in later life….. putting a motor on scooter removes the exercise….
Not actually an answer in this case as there are age restrictions to these trial hire schemes and you need at least a provisional driving license.
Why? OP also mentioned he'd use it to get to work. What's your answer?
Oh yeah, OP will be fine to go that route. I understood that was a suggestion for the 9 year old.
If she can't be arsed pedalling/walking at this age just skip the scooter bit and get her a Surron.
Get one.
If I were a 9 year old I want one too!
However, it does come with whatever risk there is. Therefore, as long as you are well prepared just go for it. Not sure what e-scooters are but on youtube there some brilliant turbo charge high power superfast e-scooters LOL! I want one of those now.
As long as you don't blame the world if something negative happens, then go enjoy your life with your family whatever that is like e-Scooter, swimming in shark infested water, hand feeding wild hippos, teasing a monkey etc
I think they’re fantastic for ‘last mile’ (ie getting across any town….)
Not if you travel by tube/train they are not! Just banned by TfL and other ToCs
I wouldn't (yet) because the issue is not really whether they are useful, but what happens when things go wrong. I explained this to Son2 when he wanted and bought an electric skateboard (since sold). Be assured that if something significant happens (like an accidental bumping of a pedestrian), the full arm of the law will be thrown at the evil miscreant, fault or not. That, sadly, is the current reality. Things are moving slowly and regulation of personal devices will come. Just not yet.
Of course, aged 9, your daughter is below the age of criminal responsibility, so you can crack on, should you wish. But if you ride it things might be different.
A 9 year old is below the age of criminal responsibility in Egland and Wales. The dire warnings of consequences are probably baseless.
The laws really need changing as these scooters ( if they don’t explode) are the answer to our urban transport problems.
I believe that the evidence is that they are a net addition to CO2 rather than a reduction, because all that they replace is walking, and many cities that legalised/trialled them now want to get rid because of that and the nuisance factor.
Of course, aged 9, your daughter is below the age of criminal responsibility, so you can crack on, should you wish.
Doesn't the liability then apply to the guardian who should have stopped them using one? Let alone helping them buy an illegal toy.
I’ve seen some ‘Pure’ branded scooters being sold refurbished/graded for reasonable prices and they seem a known brand(?)
They're solid products among a fair amount of Chinese import tat from what I've seen (worked for Pure for a bit). The refurb company Moose has a good close relationship with Pure too. Probably a safe enough bet overall.
must be able to get a kids version given you get ride on electric cars (unless they are illegal too).
Also be prepared to deal with her when it's confiscated and destroyed by the police, as that's becoming more common as they crack down on it.
At least 3 have been confiscated in the small Devon town I teach in in the last week...I know this because of parents complaining to us (as if we could help out and persuade the police to return them?!)
No difference at all to me walking my loaded shotgun in public and I doubt that will go down well here
🤣🥱😴
Seriously, what an incredibly idiotic thing to say. There’s simply no comparison whatsoever. In Chippenham, the police pay no attention at all, neither do they care about kids and teenagers tearing along narrow footpaths in front of rows of shops on bikes at high speed, and I mean high speed - at least 10-15mph. The little cafe I usually sit outside of looks across to the road leading up to the council offices where the local police are based, and it’s not unusual to see kids on bikes and scooters riding down the footpath, crossing right in front of a police car sitting at the junction, and the police pay zero attention to them. I sometimes wonder if they’d even bother getting out if someone rode into the side of the car!
They don't care in Cambridge either.
Plus there are tons of deliveroo riders on "pedal assist" electric mopeds flying along at 30mph with their feet on the crossbar
As long as you don’t blame the world if something negative happens
Like running someone down.
Have a look at the proper 'leg powered' scooters in Decathlon, i.e. adult sized. Great fun, and fast. Otherwise, have you a good family dentist still (most haven't).
Like running someone down.
I doubt a 9 year old with a small e-scooter can do that. 😀
You got to be the unluckiest person on earth to be a casualty of a tiny e-scooter if that happens or your time is basically up on this earth if you suffer fatal injuries.
On the other hand, if I had a superdoper turbo charged e-scooter that's a different story. LOL!
Also it can be a person crossing the road with their earbuds on listening to music without noticing the traffic etc (yes, why are these Darwinians doing this I don't know and taking their sweet time to cross the road even when the approaching vehicles are rather fast ... )
Great fun, and fast. Otherwise, have you a good family dentist still (most haven’t).
Wear a full face helmet if it is a proper e-scooter and wear something like Downhill MTBers ...
I use the rental ones that are available locally for occasional trips when I cannot use my bike. I am an experienced cyclist and driver and sometimes find using escooters a little scary due to potholes, sharing roads with cars etc.
I would not have let my daughter have one at the age of 9 as she would not have had the road sense to be safe.
Also an escooter suitable for a 9 year old is probably not going to be suitable for an adult male.
I've got one, a Pure Electric thing. Base model. Does 15mph on the flat, a bit less uphill, a bit more down.
Easy to control once up to speed. Quite heavy to lift - potentially an issue for a 9yr old maybe? Also really only a one-size setup.
Not legal on road although around where I use mine, it's quiet enough that it's not an issue plus there's loads of them around anyway, I'd have to be quite unlucky to be pulled over for it!
It's a brilliant bit of kit, super convenient for nipping to the shops, cafe, round to a friend's etc. Hindered slightly by the fact that most train operators won't take them in board any more so using them for home -> station and station -> work/school etc is not an option.
Also an escooter suitable for a 9 year old is probably not going to be suitable for an adult male.
LOL! Absolutely. The father will look very silly. He should get his own and a proper one!
I once saw an adult on those scooter (normal non electric) and he looked like a clown. Very uncool.
Ahem, I went into town tonight on one didn't feel in the least but subconscious.
It’s a brilliant bit of kit, super convenient for nipping to the shops, cafe, round to a friend’s etc. Hindered slightly by the fact that most train operators won’t take them in board any more so using them for home -> station and station -> work/school etc is not an option.
Would a fold up bike also be good for those use cases and be about as quick?
Would a fold up bike also be good for those use cases and be about as quick?
As well as being much more versatile.
That’s the thing with e-scooters, although they’re a lot of fun, most of the journeys that they’re replacing are walkable. So they’re more polluting and worse for health outcomes.
This place is the best 😂 ask a simple question and get told your kid is lazy/you are a crap parent/you are going to jail. Long may it continue.
Firstly, I was joking about me using it to get to work. I will have a wee shot mind.
Secondly, if it's got wheels you need a helmet. Both of mine have destroyed 2 helmets each by using their heads and faces as brakes.
Thirdly, she's not lazy, it's endless exercise in this house, fret not. It's just a bit of fun. If I was 9 I would be desperate for one.
Fourth, legality - it will be used in on quiet estate roads. Kids are out on hoverboards, e scooters all the time. The surfaces are good and it's low traffic. Yes, strictly speaking it is illegal but I think the benefits (see below) outweigh the risks. The chances of being prosecuted are minimal in the real world as I see it in this context. She's not a halfwit so I doubt she will be terrorising grannies down the precinct.
Filthy, yes, there is a risk of injury to self (had a few smashes on the bike) - but I think especially for girls getting into gadgets and tech, machines etc, personal mobility and independence is so much better than lots of other things they are drawn to. Injury to others is always a risk but its likely similar to a pedal cycle etc.
Lastly, thanks for the 2 people who offered helpful advice about wheel size, brands
My son has one, his mum and me split a few years ago and I live the other side of the village.
He is disabled (top of his femur was eaten by an infection when 1) and can't walk far.
He uses the scooter to come to my house from his mum or to got to scouts/ explorers.
It is illegal technically but gives him some independence to not rely on being driven everywhere, he also uses it for scout/ explorer hike type activities (like a treasure hunt around the village) that he wouldn't be able to do otherwise.
Got one from Currys and made sure it had bigger wheel to avoid being thrown off by stones etc.
No injuries to date it's been very useful.
He is disabled... uses the scooter
Now this is where the law needs to change to make real improvements to people's lives. Consider scooters as appropriate adaptations for kids like this, set up proper insurance etc.
The law was meant to be changed last year.
But for obvious reasons they couldn't get their shit together to do anything worthwhile.
I'm hoping it comes soon as e scooters are useful despite some of the naysayers here
the penalty is a driving without insurance conviction which will be expensive at best and career-limiting at worst.
She should rag it for the next year while she can't be prosecuted in E & W. And then she can do another couple of years in Scotland so long as she can jump the border at the last minute, Dukes of Hazzard style.
I doubt a 9 year old with a small e-scooter can do that. 😀
You got to be the unluckiest person on earth to be a casualty of a tiny e-scooter if that happens or your time is basically up on this earth if you suffer fatal injuries.
It would be pretty easy to smash into an oldie and break their hip. Obviously that's also true on a normal bike etc but a scooter would likely be faster and heavier.
But all that being said - the small front wheels just makes them dangerous for the rider.
I think they're a great idea for people to get about and the law really should be changed, but this government can't organise anything properly at the moment.
OP you're doing the right thing in trying to get advice on the best and safest one your daughter should get. Bigger wheels are definitely better with our roads and pavements. Just make sure she's aware that the police can take it off her at their discretion and this is more likely if she's not riding it with care and caution. I mainly ride my OneWheel (not a scooter but still classed as a PEV) off-road making mellow trails that are dull on my bike interesting again, but the times where I am on the road or pavement, I ride at an appropriate speed for the conditions and the knowledge that I should give way to everyone else. If the government would put something in place I'd happily pay for insurance and tax, it seems that other countries are able to do this but we just lag behind as usual.