An e-scooter rider is facing a prison sentence after twice being caught riding it on the road in Brighton.
Mateusz Cieslak, 34, bought the scooter after he was given a three-year driving ban for driving a Saab 93 Aero while high on cannabis in Brighton in April 2020.
Today, Brighton Magistrates Court was told he thought the same rules of the road as bicycles applied to e-scooters.
On November 9, he crashed his Jano T85 scooter in Cuckmere Way in Hollingbury, badly injuring his knee. Police were called, and he was later charged with driving the scooter while disqualified and without insurance.
The scooter was seized, but after being treated at hospital, he recovered it from the police pound.
Just 15 days later, he was pulled over by police for riding the scooter in Southdown Avenue, near Preston Park.
Today, he pleaded guilty to two charges of driving while disqualified, two of driving with no insurance, and one of possessing a small amount of cannabis.
Prosecuting, Lauren Kenny said: “On 9 November, officers arrived at scene of a road traffic accident in Cuckmere Way.
“Three men were at the scene and there was a large dent in the mirror of a parked white Renault.
“An e-scooter was crashed behind the vehicle. It was established that the defendant had driven the scooter.
“On 26 November, he was stopped riding an e-scooter in Southdown Avenue.”
Defending, Andy Foreman said: “My client is a heating engineer so now he’s not driving, he goes out and gets himself an e-scooter to get to work, on the understanding that you don’t have to wear a helmet, it’s okay, it’s like riding a bicycle.
“On 9 November, the roads are a bit slippy and a vehicle turns in front of him and he crashes into it.
“He smashes his knees up and he hears the police saying you are going to be reported.
“He goes to hospital and is off work for a couple of weeks.
“He goes to the pound and gets his scooter back, still under the impression that it’s like a bicycle.
Yet if he was in London renting one he would not be standing in the doc. Apsolutley retarded law on every level.
Banned from driving for 3 years for being unfit to drive through drugs.
Involved in a RTC while on a scooter, hitting a parked vehicle !!!
Then caught riding it again.
Whatever our own thoughts are on e-scooters, they are currently illegal…
After driving drugged up and then involved in a RTC our opinions on who is retarded may differ.
So many issues would be solved if the government didn’t pretend as if e-scooters don’t exist. Unsafe driving? Let us pay money for MOT, insurance, license plate, whatever, then more riders will feel more accountable for their actions because it’s much easier to be punished. If it’s a registered vehicle people will do less dumb shit like treating e-scooters like “bicycles”.
This will allow responsible e-scooter riders to ride around without fear, whereas the bad apples are punished. Sure, this system won’t be perfect but it’s many times better than the pure anarchy at this moment. Also insurance would be piss cheap. it’s 30 euros in across the channel.