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E-scooter rider tries to join motorway with 70mph traffic

West Yorkshire Police released footage showing the man heading towards the M606 in Bradford. (Police)
West Yorkshire Police released footage showing the man heading towards the M606 in Bradford. (Police)

This is the moment shocked police officers spotted an e-scooter trying to join a motorway with 70mph traffic.

West Yorkshire Police (WYP) released footage showing the man heading towards the M606 in Bradford while travelling at 15mph.

Officers intercepted the e-scooter rider before he caused an accident and posted a clip on Twitter to remind people of road safety rules.

WYP - Roads Policing Unit wrote: “Officers on patrol were shocked to see this E-Scooter on the chevrons trying to join a live motorway lane with 70mph traffic.

“Scooter seized and rider reported.

“Privately owned E-Scooters cannot legally be used on a public road/pavement and only on private land.”

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Privately-owned e-scooters are illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes or pavements.

Riders can only use private scooters on private land with the permission of the landowner.

Under current laws, anyone who rides their own scooter in a public place could face a £300 fine as well as six points on their current or future driver’s licence.

They also risk having their e-scooters seized by police.

Several UK cities, including Manchester and Birmingham, are taking part in public e-scooter trials since the Department of Transport announced the initiative last summer.

London got the green light to begin its 12-month trial last week.

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The trials are part of a broader plan to invest £2 billion ($2.5 billion) in cycling and walking as the country emerges from lockdown and fosters a new era of greener travel.

E-scooters have become an increasingly popular form of urban transport in many cities around the world.

But some countries, including Spain, France and Germany, clamped down last year, introducing speed limits and pavement bans amid a rise in accidents.