Oliver Coughlin: Bracknell man rode e-scooter while drunk

Oliver Coughlin, of Redditch, Bracknell, was riding a council-leased e-scooter on Alfreton Road in Nottingham on May 14, 2022.

The 21-year-old was drunk while he was riding the e-scooter, a court file indicated.

Officers stopped him with 86 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood.

Zipp Mobility e-scooter available for hire in Buckinghamshire

The legal drive limit is 35mcg per 100ml, meaning Coughlin was more than two times over the limit.

Appearing at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on June 7, 2022, Coughlin was handed a 17-month driving ban.

On top of this, the Bracknell man was also told to pay a £120 fine, a £34 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.

Are e-scooters legal?

E-scooters qualify as ‘powered transporters’ and must have MOT, tax, licensing and insurance.

As e-scooters cannot (currently) meet these requirements, riding a privately-owned e-scooter on a public road, or another public place is a road traffic offence and riders can be prosecuted.

Charges can include driving without a valid licence and driving without insurance.

File photo of a youngster on an e-scooter quizzed by police in Bracknell town centre

If found guilty, the penalty can be a fine of £300 and up to six points on your driving licence if you have one.

The e-scooter could also be seized.

However, in May the government announced it is planning to investigate making e-scooters legal for road use.

What about e-scooters you can hire legally?

In areas where government trials allow you to hire e-scooters for legal use, such as in Nottingham, Oxford or Buckinghamshire, riders must lease the scooters from companies with relevant motor insurance.

Riders must also be over 16, hold a full provisional driving licence, and drive them on public roads and cycle lanes but not on pavements.

Only one person can use them at any one time.