Riding an e-scooter could inflate car insurance costs by £1,000 before you've passed your test, experts warn

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Young people caught illegally riding e-scooters risk inflating the price of their motor insurance premiums before they've passed their driving test.

Almost 800 under 16s received endorsements for breaking the law by using private e-scooters in the last four years, a recent study revealed.

Nearly half of these were issued in 2024 as offence numbers grow on the back of the popularity of the gadgets.

Police can issue an IN10 endorsement - which covers 'using a vehicle uninsured against third-party risks' - to anyone caught riding a private e-scooter, which is punishable by a fine of £300 and six penalty points.

But while teenagers who flout the rules might care very little about points given they do not have a licence, there will likely be financial ramifications by the time they do pass their test months - even years - later.

Experts warn it can send the cost of premiums for young people - which are likely already pricier than any other age demographic - up by £1,000 and make it almost unaffordable for them to get on the road. 

Almost 800 children aged 13 to 16 received endorsements for breaking the law by using private e-scooters in the last four years (stock image)

Since 2021, there has been a 2,100 per cent rise in the number of children receiving uninsured driving endorsements, according to a Freedom of Information request made by road safety charity IAM RoadSmart to the DVLA.

While rental e-scooters in major cities are legal, the use of private e-scooters on public roads or in public spaces is still outlawed across the country.

As such, it's not currently possible to get insurance for these ride-on devices and is therefore punishable by fines and points as well as the seizure of the e-scooter by police.

In 2024, 375 children aged 13 to 16 were issued IN10 endorsements for illegal e-scooter riding compared to 17 in 2021, the DVLA data revealed.

But while teenagers might merely grumble at a £300 fine, MoneySupermarket says young people could be devastated by the far greater financial penalty received when they do want to get behind the wheel.

That's because an IN10 endorsement must remain on record for a minimum of four years.

For a 16 year old who passes their driving test at 17, the endorsement could impact the cost of their insurance until the age of 20.

Even for 13 year-olds, they could see a spike in premiums if they gain their licence at 17.

If a person is issued an IN10 endorsement for riding an e-scooter without insurance but they do not hold a GB licence, a non-licence record is created to hold the endorsements for four years

MoneySupermarket, using policy data from its website, shows an IN10 endorsement adds around £1,000 to the annual cost of car insurance for young drivers. 

It ran quotes for 17-to-19-year-olds with no recorded offences and found the average annual premium for annual fully-comprehensive cover was £1,766. 

For the same driver with an IN10, the average quote jumped to £2,767. 

Among 20-to-29-year-olds, the premium difference was also £1,000 (£1,272 for no endorsements versus £2,272 for an IN10). 

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Kara Gammell, of MoneySupermarket, said both young people and their parents need to be aware of the ramifications of riding private e-scooters illegally. 

'If you own an e-scooter, you need to know that riding one illegally is punishable by six penalty points on your driving licence and a £300 fine, which can also significantly drive up the cost of your car insurance,' she said.

'If you're a parent considering buying your teen an e-scooter, or they already own one, be sure to have a conversation with them about using it responsibly, and let them know that riding it on a public road, as well as being illegal, could seriously affect the cost of your car insurance, or theirs in the future.'

E-scooter trials first commenced in summer 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic and remain the only legal route to using the device on a public road. 

While it is not illegal to buy or sell a private e-scooter, these are restricted for use only on private land.

An IN10 will typically be added to a motorist's licence following an investigation by police, either after a camera detects an uninsured vehicle on the road or a driver or rider is stopped by a police officer and reported. 

Where a driver does not hold a GB licence, a non-licence record is created to hold the endorsements until they pass their test.

All drivers, young and old, have already seen the cost of motor insurance soar in recent years.

Between 2022 and 2023, premiums rocketed by 25 per cent. 

Although premiums fell by 2 per cent to an average of £612 in July to September last year, according to the latest policy data held by the Association of British Insurers, young motorists still face huge costs to get covered.

According to Compare the Market, the average premium for drivers aged under 25 was £1,577 in December 2024, having dropped by £425 compared to the same month in 2023.

IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards Nicholas Lyes 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.

'The Government needs to urgently bring forward legislation on private e-scooters, which must include minimum type approval device standards, speed limiters and proposals for riders to have a minimum level of competency.'