IN COURT: Northampton e-scooter rider lands £1,400 court bill over collision with Seat Leon

A man who crashed a private e-scooter into a Seat Leon at a busy Northampton junction landed a £1,400 court bill from local magistrates.

According to court documents, 35-year-old Razvan-Nicolae Harangau failed to see the vehicle, which was indicating to turn left on Towcester Road — at the intersection with Briar Hill Road and Queen Eleanor Road — on June 15, 2023, and collided with the front of it, causing damage.

Harangau, of Henry Bird Way in the town, pleaded guilty to driving a mechanically propelled vehicle on a road without due care and attention and having no third-party insurance.

He was fined £369 for driving without due care plus another £553 for no insurance and ordered to pay a further £469 towards prosecution costs and a surcharge to fund victim services. He also had his driving licence endorsed with six penalty points.

Despite calls to make them ‘road legal’ and soaring popularity as a eco-friendly mode of transport, private electric scooters can only be used on private land in the UK.

According to Northamptonshire Police, e-scooters are classed as motor vehicles under the Road Traffic Act 1988 — requiring a licence, insurance and tax.

A police spokesman said: “It's not currently possible to get insurance for privately owned e-scooters, which means it's illegal to use them on the road or in public spaces. If you cause serious harm to another person whilst riding an e-scooter the incident will be investigated in the same way it would if you were riding a motorcycle or driving a car.”

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