Like magic mushroom spores, e-scooters occupy a mysterious grey area in UK law, being legal to buy but illegal to use—in public, at least. Yet sales of these unlawful micromobility devices are booming.

In the eyes of their promoters, they are a one-stop solution for reducing congestion and carbon emissions, replacing short car journeys and providing crucial “last mile” connectivity to public transport hubs. In the eyes of their critics, they are “absolute death traps”, “silent killing machines”, and lithium-driven devices whose green claims don’t stack up.

But so far the figures suggest that rather than replacing car journeys, the scooters are replacing less carbon-intensive modes of travel. A Department for Transport (DfT) evaluation report of the trials, published in December 2022, found that 42% of users said they would have walked if they hadn’t taken an e-scooter, while only 21% would have taken a car or taxi.

The “low carbon” claims are also questionable, given the energy that goes into extracting the raw materials and manufacturing the scooters. A 2019 study by researchers at North Carolina State University found that riding an e-scooter typically produces more emissions per passenger than taking the bus, once the carbon footprint of production and distribution is taken into account.

Safety remains one of the biggest concerns. E-scooters are heavy, around three times the weight of a regular e-bike, and can be difficult to control for first-time users, while their comparatively small wheels make them susceptible to the lumps, bumps and potholes that riddle Britain’s roads. The number of collisions involving e-scooters has tripled in the last several years, from 460 in 2020 to 1,402 in 2022, while there have been 34 e-scooter deaths since 2019.

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety has made several recommendations, should the government decide to legalize private e-scooters, including a minimum front wheel size of 12 inches, a maximum speed limit of 12.5 mph, and mandatory helmet wearing. But the e-scooter industry remains sceptical. Lime says that user feedback in London, where the speed is capped at 12.5 mph, is that it is too slow and makes people feel more vulnerable. Similarly, when it comes to helmets, the operators encourage and incentivise their use, but argue that infrastructure must adapt to prioritize bikes and scooters—citing cities such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen, where cycling infrastructure is exceptional, and few people wear helmets.

Still, while the government remains intent on preserving the sacred rights of the motorist—most recently withdrawing the post-pandemic guidance for active travel—such infrastructural changes look like wishful thinking. As the government keeps kicking e-scooter legislation into the long grass, the country’s streets and pavements will continue to be flooded with unregulated machines delivered to your door with small wheels, no lights and possible speeds of up to 60 mph.

The number of collisions involving e-scooters to an extent shows the need of________.