Hundreds of children have been caught breaking a major traffic rule over the past four years with electric scooters blamed for the surge in offences.
It comes after reports found that 800 children have been caught driving without insurance with a staggering 2,100 per cent increase in cases since 2021.
The research, which was revealed through a Freedom of Information request, found that one in 10 offences involved a driver aged 14 or below.
The surge in numbers has been largely attributed to the rise in e-scooters which do not require insurance and are illegal on public roads or in public spaces.
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Experts warn e-scooter usage can lead to uninsured driving cases
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Under UK law, e-scooters can only be used on private land with riders who are found guilty of breaking these rules penalised by police.
Riding or driving without insurance can result in a £300 fine and six penalty points, with court cases potentially leading to unlimited fines and driving bans.
The only legal way to use e-scooters on public roads is through official trial schemes, which were rolled out across certain cities in 2020 with most of these being extended due to their popularity.
According to the FOI, last year, 375 teenagers aged 13 to 16 received IN10 endorsements, which is a DVLA offence code for driving without insurance. This represents a dramatic increase from just 17 cases in 2021.
The rise in numbers has also affected young adults, with 17-year-olds, who can legally drive on UK roads, showing a 30 per cent increase in uninsured cases between 2023 and 2024. A further 700 per cent spike was seen between 2021 and 2024.
While younger drivers and riders have seen increases, the number of IN10 endorsements for riders over 22 years old has fallen since 2021.
Rising insurance costs have contributed significantly to these trends, with motor premiums surging by 25 per cent between 2022 and 2023.
Although premiums have dropped by two per cent in the third quarter of last year, they remain particularly high for young drivers who face substantial financial pressures, including costs for vehicles and driving lessons.
Fuel prices have also played a role, hitting record highs in 2022 and remaining historically expensive despite some reduction in 2023.A recent survey by IAM RoadSmart members found that 69 per cent consider insurance costs to be the biggest challenge for young drivers.
A further 60 per cent stated that advanced driver qualifications should be recognised by insurers to help reduce costs.
Nicholas Lyes, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards, called the number of children caught driving without insurance "shocking" and linked it to e-scooter use.
He said: "Although it's illegal to ride a privately owned e-scooter on public roads, they are widely available for sale. It's estimated that more than 750,000 private e-scooters have been bought."
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Non-trial scheme electric scooters can only be used on private land
GETTYHe urged the Government to introduce legislation on private e-scooters. This should include "minimum type approval device standards, speed limiters and proposals for riders to have a minimum level of competency".
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "We are carefully considering next steps on e-scooters, but in the meantime private ones remain illegal for use on public roads.
"We are committed to tackling high car insurance costs as part of our Plan for Change to raise living standards across Britain and that’s why we have set up a cross-Government taskforce to look at how we can help stabilise or reduce premiums."
