Driving laws and Highway Code ‘needs to be changed’ to ‘accommodate’ new electric scooters

He warned that new drivers “need to be taught” how to handle the new devices with proper legislation put in place to control their use. Mr Freeman said that existing drivers could suffer issues with the new tools warning motorists would need to be “aware at all times”.

He said the new tools would male it a “changing environment” for the road users and an “extra burden” for those behind the wheel.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mr Freeman said: “The Highway Code needs to be changed to accommodate the existence of e-scooters.

“The reality is, of course, new drivers need to be taught and old drivers hopefully will have the experience to already be able to deal with that.

“E scooters are going to whizz up on the near side and on the off side, you’re not going to hear them, they will come up very quickly, very silently very stealthily.

READ MORE: Car insurance costs ‘likely to increase’ by up to £2billion 

The new scooters can only be used on designated routes but are banned from roads above which have a speed limit of over 30mph.

Riders will only need to hold a provisional driving licence and be aged over 18 to use the new scooters on public roads.

Other towns and cities have expressed their demand to hold a trial as local authorities see the devices as a way to reduce public transport levels amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Small scale trials have also been launched in Middlesbrough where two teenagers were caught using the tools on a dual carriageway.

Major cities such as Birmingham, Cambridge and Liverpool have also expressed their interest in launching similar schemes.

A trial in London has been delayed until the end of Autumn as negotiations continue between e-scooter firms and London boroughs.

But Mr Freeman has warned a lack of safety measures and laws in place for riders could backfire with dangerous consequences.

Mr Freeman told Express.co.uk: “Riders are vulnerable, they don’t have to wear a helmet, they don’t have to wear a high vis jacket.

“Motorists are not familiar with dealing with them and they are not familiar with dealing with motorists.

“You’ve then got the problem that people are going to go through red lights, use them on the pavement.

They are going to do a whole valley of things which are illegal but how are we going to know who it is.”

Mr Freeman added: “We are going to have some terrible accidents I’m afraid, and even if it’s the fault of the e scooter what we are concerned with is a society of road safety.

“The default position will always be [a collision is] the motorists’ fault. It’s an extra burden, legally and morally that the motorist will have on their shoulders.”

source: express.co.uk