More than £100m paid for injuries caused by e-mobility transport

The cost of damages paid out to people injured in the UK by e-scooters and e-bikes has topped £110m, according to a BBC report.

It is seven years since the first claim was made. Such claims have also led to premiums for drivers being pushed up, to effectively cover the bill for insurers.

The organisation which settles claims, the Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB), wants the sale of such vehicles to be better regulated, and in some cases, banned. They have become a common sight on the UK’s streets, but they have also become a significant hazard.

In 2025, there were 168 claims for accidents involving both types of vehicle, the highest figure so far. In the worst single case, a child suffered catastrophic life-changing injuries and was paid £20m.

Micromobility vehicles – which include, e-scooters, e-bikes, mobility scooters and now e-unicyles too – have become a common sight on the UK’s streets, but they have also become a significant hazard. All are legally classified as motor vehicles.

E-scooters are allowed in towns and cities where official trials are taking place, but only the vehicles which are part of the operator schemes can be ridden.

Privately owned e-scooters can only legally be used on private land with the owner’s permission. Regular police enforcement operations lead to hundreds being seized and destroyed every year, along with hundreds of e-bikes that have been adapted to go faster than 15.5mph, the maximum speed at which they can be legally ridden.