Road safety group reveals sharp rise in teens driving without insurance, linking the trend to the increasing e-scooter use.
The group, IAM RoadSmart, got data from the DVLA. It shows a big jump in IN10 endorsements for kids. IN10 means driving without insurance.
Ages 13 to 16 saw a 2,200% increase. In 2024, they gave out 375 endorsements, compared to only seventeen in 2021. IN10 stays on your license for four years and comes with a £300 fine.
Nicholas Lyes from IAM RoadSmart commented that scooters cause more kids to drive uninsured. It’s illegal to ride private e-scooters on public roads, yet they are seen everywhere, especially in cities.
Lyes estimated people bought over 750,000 private e-scooters. He wants rules for scooters covering device standards, speed limits, and rider competency, emphasizing the government needs to act fast. You can’t get insurance for private e-scooters right now.
Government data showed some bad accidents in 2023, with six people dying in e-scooter crashes and four hundred sixteen others having serious injuries. The government has been doing rental e-scooter trials since 2020.
IAM RoadSmart found many young adults also breaking the law. In 2024, the 17-21 age group received 7,234 IN10 endorsements, more than double the 3,340 in 2021.
Lyes thinks cost is a problem for young drivers, who pay high insurance costs. Cars help them with work and their freedom. Premiums may drop, but costs remain an issue, and some may break the law without major change.
Lyes mentioned the government could offer tax breaks to help people train more. This could encourage new drivers to do better.
The Department for Transport stated they are thinking about what to do with e-scooters next. Right now, private scooters are illegal on public roads. They want to lower car insurance costs too and have made a group to find ways to help.