Warning to Sunderland e-scooter riders after teen is given ban for drink-driving

South Tyneside Magistrates Court heard Freddie Seferi, 19, had jumped on a Neuron scooter after leaving a club.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Winchester said Seferi, of All Saints Court, Roker, was seen riding on the wrong side of Ryhope Road by police in the early hours of Sunday, August 7, .

A breath test showed 72mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The legal limit is 35mcg.

Seferi, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to drink-driving, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.

District Judge Zoe Passfield disqualified him from driving for 16 months and fined him £180, with £85 court costs and a £72 victim surcharge.

Defence solicitor Peter Farrier described the machines as a ‘recipe for disaster’ and said driver’s mate Seferi was unaware he was committing a crime as serious as if he had got behind the wheel of a car.

“These darned scooters are bombing about. This is a recipe for disaster,” he said.

“These scooters are flying about the place all the time, without any public health warning that should be on. I think that it’s an utter disgrace.”

Of Seferi’s crime, he said: “It’s 4am or 5am. He’s come out of a nightclub and has to get home.

“He doesn’t think twice about doing it. There’s no other vehicles around, it’s just him being daft.

“He’s never been in trouble before. I feel sorry for the lad.

“He’s ending up banned and with a hefty or sizable fine. He didn’t know he was doing anything wrong.”

A Sunderland City Council spokesperson defended the authority’s policy: “So far, the majority of people using the e-scooters in Sunderland appear to be acting responsibly and they have provided a safe, convenient and environmentally-friendly way to get around the city.

"However, there are very clear rules, responsibilities and legal duties for all highways users, and this includes those using e-scooters.”

A spokesperson for operator Neuron added: “Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Neuron, it dictates our product design as well as how we run our e-scooter schemes in cities like Sunderland.

“All of our riders are required to sign up to a comprehensive list of riding rules before they are allowed to take their first trip.

"The rules are clear when it comes to not riding under the influence of alcohol, and of course they get guidance on where and how to park and ride.

"All this information appears in the app that riders see at the start of every trip, plus there’s voice guidance to remind people of the key points, and even stickers on the e-scooters with the main dos and don’ts.

"We also regularly send our safety ambassadors into the community as part of our #ScootSafe activities to remind riders of the rules and reinforce good riding behaviour.

“For those who do break the rules, we generally warn and educate them further and usually cases of repeat offending are rare.

We are industry leaders in safety and our e-scooters have a range of features to keep riders safe, but it is also the responsibility of every rider to follow the rules.”