Parents are being urged to think carefully before buying off-road vehicles or e-scooters as Christmas presents.
Off-road vehicles including motorbikes and quad bikes are classed as motor vehicles and must meet specific standards to be legally ridden on public highways, City of Wolverhampton Council said.
Privately owned e-scooters are illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes, and pavements, and using one in a public area could lead to it being seized, it added.
The council said it was working with West Midlands Police to take action against people using the vehicles illegally.
Councillor Obaida Ahmed said parents should understand the legal and financial consequences of purchasing such vehicles as they might be fined, face compensation claims, or even prosecution if they allowed illegal riding.
“The anti-social use of off-road vehicles and e-scooters is not only dangerous, but also illegal, and the risks to children and young people are very real,” she said.
“Without proper training, safety equipment and a safe place to ride, they face serious injury or even death from crashes or falls.”
She added they also posed a collision risks for both pedestrians and parked vehicles if ridden illegally on roads, pavements or in parks.
In July, West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster asked the government for extra powers to tackle the “growing threat posed by e-bikes, e-scooters and other vehicles being used recklessly and unlawfully”.
He said some e-bikes had been modified to reach speeds of up to 70mph (113kmph), and he wanted the law to be changed to allow police to destroy the vehicles within seven days, rather than the current 14.
A High Court street racing injunction is currently in place in the Black Country, and people using off-road vehicles on public roads or land for racing or stunts could be in breach of that, Ahmed added.
She asked anyone who witnessed anti-social use of off-road vehicles or e-scooters to report it.
