E-scooter rider banned from roads after drink driving in Cambridge

A man has been banned from driving after admitting riding an e-scooter while over the legal alcohol limit.

Police were on patrol in Cambridge on 9 February when they spotted an e-scooter being ridden with two pillion passengers.

The e-scooter was swerving across the road on Gonville Place and officers from the Road Policing Unit signalled for it to stop so words of advice could be given.

However, it soon became clear that the rider, Sonny McKeag, had been drinking.

The 20-year-old of Sedley Taylor Road, Cambridge, provided a positive roadside breath test of 70 microgrammes.

In custody he provided an evidential sample of 82 microgrammes per 100 millilitres of breath, more than twice the legal limit of 35.

At Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (27 February), McKeag pleaded guilty to drink driving and was disqualified from driving for a year. He must also pay a £266 fine.

PC Sam Thomas, from the Road Policing Unit, said: “E-scooters are classed as motor vehicles when being used on the roads and are subject to all of the terms of the Road Traffic Act which means it is illegal to be under the influence while riding one.

“Riding it with two passengers while more than twice the drink drive limit was a recipe for disaster. As a consequence of his actions, McKeag will now be banned from driving for a year.”

Electric scooters are allowed to be used on public roads only as part of council-run rental schemes, like the VOI scheme in Cambridge, and riders must hold at least a provisional driving licence and be insured.

It remains illegal to use privately owned e-scooters on roads.

They are also classed as motor vehicles under the Road Traffic Act which means legislation relating to drink and drug-driving applies to e-scooters.

Drink and drug driving can be reported anonymously on 0800 032 0845.