Nottingham: Family of woman killed in e-scooter crash say law ‘stinks’

The husband and daughter of the first pedestrian killed in an e-scooter collision said the law “smelt” around them and called for changes.

Garry Davis’ wife, Linda, died six days after she was hit by a 14-year-old boy on the pavement in Rainworth, Nottinghamshire, on June 2 last year.

Mr Davis, 73, had been married to his wife for 52 years and had known her since she was 15, describing her in court as his “spark”.

He wants users to have to register e-scooters in the same way as people do when buying a motorcycle or car.

Speaking to the Times, he said: “My wife was walking on the sidewalk when she was struck down. what to do

“Not long after my wife was knocked over and killed, I was walking up a main road towards an island. Two e-scooters crossed the street right in front of me.

“I had to brake hard and hit the curb. If I had hit and knocked her out, can you imagine what the press would have said? “Vengeful husband after e-scooters”. So I have to be extra careful.”

Ms Davis’ daughter, Rebecca Williams, said: “That boy’s decisions and actions that day took my mother’s life and changed our lives forever.

“My family and I now live with the impact of her loss every day. I would never wish that pain on anyone else.

“Nothing will ever repair the damage done, but I desperately hope that my mother’s case will make children and parents think about and understand the devastating consequences of illegally riding an e-scooter before they buy or use one.

“What happened to my mother should never happen again. I want people to make sure they are fully aware of the laws surrounding the use of e-scooters and the harm they can cause if ridden illegally or in a dangerous or anti-social manner.

“Once you drive one, you have to take responsibility.”

It is forbidden to use private e-scooters on sidewalks, footpaths, bike lanes and bike lanes.

In order to be legally used on public roads and in public spaces, they must meet a number of requirements – including registration, insurance and taxes.

But the Department for Transport says “it’s likely that drivers will find it very difficult to meet all of these requirements,” meaning their use on public roads is effectively a criminal offense.

They can be used on private property with the landowner’s consent.

They are classified as motor vehicles by the police and are subject to the same conditions, and incidents involving them are investigated in the same way.

Public hire scooters – including 1,300 available in Nottingham as part of a government trial running until 2024 – are legal on public roads and cycle lanes provided drivers are at least 18 years old, hold at least a provisional license and obey the Highway Code.

Private scooters, like the one involved in the collision with Ms Davis, can go at more than 30 mph, while public rental scooters are limited to 15.5 mph.

The boy involved in the collision, to whom the scooter had been handed over just days earlier, was given a 12-month referral order at Nottingham Youth Court on Wednesday and was banned from driving for five years.

The court said he was riding illegally on the sidewalk on his way to a skate park and collided with Ms Davis, 71, as she emerged from behind a van.

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