JUST one person was injured in e-scooter crashes in North Wales last year, new figures have shown.

The RAC Foundation said the rise in e-scooter injuries across Great Britain reveals "real life" frequent use of the vehicles is getting ahead of e-scooter trials and legislation.

Department for Transport figures show one casualty was recorded by North Wales Police in 2022.

This was down from four in 2021 but in line with the number of casualties two years prior.

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North Wales is in contrast with the overall trend across Great Britain, where there is an ever-rising number of e-scooter casualties.

Last year, there was a total of 1,458 casualties involving e-scooters – up slightly from 1,434 in 2021 and a leap from 484 in 2020.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), Andy Dunbobbin, said: “It is always good to see low figures of any kind when discussing people injured in North Wales – in this instance involving e-scooters.

“The safer people are, the better. I am also pleased that the number of injuries involving e-scooters went down to one last year, albeit from an already low base.

“More widely, I have always been an advocate of road safety and am the first PCC for North Wales to have included improving road safety as a standalone pledge in my Police and Crime Plan.

“E-scooters, their safety and the rules surrounding where and how they are used have become an increasing topic of discussion in recent years.

“I would implore all owners and users to use them safely and in accordance with the law, so that both riders and the public are kept as safe as possible.”

Private e-scooters cannot be legally ridden on roads or pavements in the UK but have become a common sight, particularly in urban areas.

Trials of rental e-scooters on roads in dozens of towns and cities across England are ongoing.

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: "As the e-scooter trials rumble on these figures show that the vehicles are in frequent use – and apparently all-too frequent collisions – across the whole country.

“Real life is very quickly getting ahead of legislation.

"As ministers ponder the future of these devices it is important councils are better funded to keep highway surfaces up to scratch so all road users – not least those on two wheels – don’t fall foul of the rash of potholes which remain far too common."

The statistics also show there were 12 deaths as a result of e-scooter collisions. Of them, 11 were e-scooter users and one was a pedestrian.

Additionally, the figures reveal e-scooter users made up the majority of those severely or slightly injured with 1,106 hurt (76 per cent), while 233 pedestrians were injured (16 per cent).

The remainder were cyclists, or occupants of other motor vehicles.