Escooter seen driving at speed on M1 in Helensvale on the Gold Coast

An e-scooter rider zooming past traffic on a jam-packed M1 motorway has left an MP stunned. See the extraordinary video.

A man riding an escooter so fast on a busy section of the M1 highway that he is zipping past cars has left a Gold Coast MP aghast.

Theodore MP Mark Boothman said he could hardly believe his eyes when the man shot past his car while driving on the motorway southbound between the Helensvale North and Helensvale South exits.

The incident took place at about 5.20pm on Friday, while traffic was heavy on the motorway.

“I was doing about 65km/h with the traffic, and he would have been doing at least 80km/h, maybe 85km/h,” Mr Boothman said.

“He was actually weaving into the traffic as he got to Brisbane Rd.

“Just seeing this person fly past me going at least 80km/h on a very busy Friday afternoon, when the traffic was travelling at about 60, maybe 70km/h, it just makes you think, does this person have a death wish?

“If he hits a bit of uneven road, and he comes off at that speed, he will seriously injure himself and potentially throw himself in front of a vehicle, therefore destroying the life of that driver because they have hit somebody.

“Do they understand the ramifications and the damage they will do to themselves and potentially other people?”

A man seen riding an escooter on the M1 in Helensvale on Friday December 1, 2023. Picture: Mark Boothman MP.

Mr Boothman has reported the matter to police.

Escooters, pushbikes and mopeds are not allowed to be driven on the M1.

Road rules state that escooters should only be ridden on certain roads with a speed limit of 50km/h or less. The maximum speed allowed for escooters on roads is 25km/h. On paths the limit is 12km/h.

The fine for riding an escooter on prohibited roads is $185.

However riders can be fined up to $619 for speeding, and under reforms introduced to parliament on October 12 by Transport Minister Mark Bailey could face a court appearance and fines of up to $6192 if found guilty of riding carelessly.

That legislation is expected to pass parliament early next year.

“These new laws (will) ensure e-scooter riders will need to play by the same rules as the rest of us and significant penalties will apply for those that ride irresponsibly,” Mr Bailey said.

Theodore MP Mark Boothman. Picture: David Clark.

However Mr Boothman questioned how the new rules would be enforced.

“We have such a massive shortage of police officers on the Gold Coast,” Mr Boothman said.

“I continuously hear from my residents that they don’t see the police around any more.

“All we see are speed cameras. We hardly ever see police driving up and down the motorways or driving our local streets.

“So how is Mark Bailey going to enforce these rules when there’s not enough police officers to enforce them?”

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