CAMPAIGNERS are pushing for increased testing and compulsory helmets for people riding e-scooters ahead of a public consultation on measures for using the vehicles.

Only e-scooters which are rented as part of government approved trials can currently be used on public roads.

However, parliamentary under-secretary of state for transport, Trudy Harrison, suggested in parliament earlier this month the government could run a public consultation on measures for use of private e-scooters.

It has seen safety campaigners push for more conditions to be put in place for riding an e-scooter if the use of private e-scooters on public roads is legalised.

Measures campaigners would push for include the compulsory wearing of helmets, competency testing, and restricting the minimum age of e-scooter riders to 16.

Colchester has seen a new fleet of upgraded e-scooters on the roads take to the road from Monday, June 20 – but many people have reservations about their level of safety.

There were 1,359 casualties involving e-scooters in the UK throughout 2021.

Essex saw 80 people sustain injuries which related to e-scooters between January and September last year, as well as one death.

John McQuater, the president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) said injury prevention week was an opportunity for people to highlight new measures which should be put in place to reduce the number of incidents involving the vehicles.

He said: ““Those e-scooters seen weaving their way around city centres currently are from the rental schemes, which are the only e-scooters which are legal to ride in public areas at the moment.

“E-scooters are eco-friendly and fun, but the number of casualties in collisions has already shot up by 181 per cent in a year and we’ve not even had the influx of the privately-owned ones yet.

“These forward-thinking measures could go a long way to preventing many needless, and sometimes life-changing, injuries and deaths.”

The new e-scooters introduced to Colchester earlier this month are said to be safer than the previous model with features a larger front wheel, wider foot plate, dual suspension, indicators, a double kick-stand and dual drum brakes introduced for riding on uneven surfaces.