Electric scooters have become a familiar sight around the country — simple to operate, they give users the freedom of a car and the fresh air of a bicycle, for the price of taking the bus. So, why have so many cities banned them? CBS Sunday Morning’s David Pogue reports.
Electric motorized scooters have suddenly grown in popularity with the introduction of ride-share companies — such as Bird, Lime, Scoot, Jump, Spin — that use apps that manage user to rentals of the scooters by the minute — including locating available scooters. Electric scooters have been introduced in Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, San Francisco, Atlanta, Austin, and Denver. Seattle are trying to keep scooter sharing companies out of the city until authorities can modify laws and roads to regulated safety of the electric scooters.
There are reports of vandals tossing scooters in piles out of the way or toppling them.
What Makes Electric Scooters So Dangerous?
The following things can contribute to an electric scooter accident:Road hazards: Potholes, gravel, roadway debris, and uneven surfaces can all cause a scooter operator to lose control of the vehicle.
Panic stop: when a scooter operator is forced to suddenly hit the brakes, it can cause the front wheel to lock. This often results in the rider being flung from the scooter.
Lack of visibility: Because electric scooters are much smaller than other vehicles, it is much harder for drivers to see them when making turns or changing lanes.
Reckless behavior: High-risk behavior, like not wearing a helmet or other types of safety gear, puts scooter riders at a higher risk of sustaining a serious injury. Other examples of reckless behavior includes riding with more than one rider at a time, going against traffic, and operating a scooter while intoxicated.
Personal injury lawyer Catherine Lerer told David Pogue that scooters that are used commercially day after day only have a lifespan of 45 days. Lerer says that scooter riders have been injured when the scooter malfunctions, including dying mid-ride, brakes locking up, collapsing handlebar posts, and spontaneous detachment of handlebars.
According to Lerer’s law office website, the following issues increase the potential of accidents and injuries involving electric scooters:
Riders who are too young to operate the scooter
Failing to use proper safety gear
Scooters being used in crowded public spaces and sidewalks
Riders leaving their scooters on sidewalks and streets
Tandem scooter riding
A four-month pilot program on Chicago’s West Side ends October 15, 2019. The 10 companies that participated in the pilot program are: Bird, Lime, Lyft, Jump, Spin, Sherpa, Bolt, Grüv, Wheels and VeoRide. To unlock an e-scooter, riders must use the specific scooter vendor’s smartphone app. Ride prices vary between vendors, but typically cost $1 for access to a scooter and 15 cents per minute to ride.
Citations were issued to Bird, Bolt, grüv, JUMP, Sherpa, Spin and Wheels, for a variety of accusations of failing to abide by the terms of their pilot program contract. The violations stemmed from failing to ensure that scooters remained within the pilot area, failing to require post-ride pictures, failing to respond to complaints promptly and failing to address the city’s equity requirements.
The City of Chicago also received multiple complaints about scooters being strewn about neighborhoods.
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