It’s a common sight in city centres across England to see people on a night out going from bar to bar on e-Scooters.
But festive partygoers using eScooters to bar hop and get home from their Christmas party could end up in jail.
Adele Greenough, Partner in our Road Traffic Accidents department, said e-riders who drink and ride are risking a driving ban and ignorance of the law isn’t a defence.
She explained: “These bikes are pitched as fun but they can be just as deadly to pedestrians as a car, especially when being driven drunk.
“People think it is a laugh racing them between bars while having a few drinks and that there are no consequences. [But] just two drinks could be over the legal limit.
“As soon as they do it, they are leaving themselves at risk of serious injury if they fall off or prosecution if police catch them over the limit.
“We have seen riders and pedestrians seriously injured in accidents involving e-Scooters. The knock on effects if police catch people could be devastating.
“People could wake up in jail the morning after with more than just a hangover from their work do, with no licence [and] they could lose their job. For the worst cases of drink driving, people can get up to six months in jail.”
Department for Transport statistics found there were 1,355 collisions involving e-scooters in the year ending June 2023.
As well as facing a driving ban and losing their licence for drink driving, riders can also be fined with fixed penalty notices for driving on the pavement outside planned routes and through red lights.
For more information about e-scooters and the law, click here.