E-scooter boom blamed for soaring number of uninsured young riders
A dramatic rise in children caught riding or driving without insurance is likely linked to the surge in popularity of private e-scooters, according to new data from road safety charity IAM RoadSmart.
Its Freedom of Information request to the DVLA revealed a staggering 2100% increase in uninsured driving endorsements for 13-16-year-olds in just four years, rising from 17 in 2021 to 375 in 2024.
With private e-scooters illegal to use on public roads and insurance unavailable, young riders are increasingly facing penalties for uninsured vehicle use. This coincides with the rise of private e-scooter ownership, estimated at over 750,000 units. IAM RoadSmart points out that e-scooter trials, which began in 2020, remain the only legal avenue for using these devices on public roads.
The data also shows an increase in uninsured driving among 17-21-year-olds, the legal driving age group. This is likely driven by the high cost of insurance, despite recent minor decreases. IAM RoadSmart’s own research indicates that 69% of its members consider insurance costs the biggest challenge for young drivers.
While uninsured driving endorsements have increased for younger drivers, they have decreased for those over 22. However, the charity notes that a 99-year-old was among those caught driving without insurance in the past four years, highlighting that the issue isn’t exclusive to younger age groups.
IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards, Nicholas Lyes, called the number of children caught without insurance “shocking” and directly linked it to the prevalence of private e-scooters. He urged the government to introduce legislation for private e-scooters, including minimum safety standards, speed limiters, and competency requirements for riders.
Lyes also acknowledged the financial pressures facing young drivers, suggesting insurance premium tax breaks for those undertaking advanced driver training and a graduated licensing system as potential solutions. He also called for the creation of a Young Drivers Taskforce within the Department for Transport to specifically address the challenges faced by young drivers.
IAM RoadSmart calls on the Government to:
• The Treasury should zero-rate insurance premium tax (IPT) on policies where licence holders under the age of 25 have completed an ‘approved driving or riding course’ which would encourage take-up of a skills-based assessment.
• The UK Government’s updated road safety strategy should focus on skills development and training (including a form of graduated driver licensing) and create a Young Drivers Taskforce within the Department for Transport which focuses on issues specifically impacting younger drivers.
• Introduce legislation on private e-scooter use to ensure they are designed and built to the safest standard and that riders using them have a certain level of competency to use them on the roads.
