THE LAST TIME WE WROTE about the menace of e-scooters, it drew the usual rash of abusive replies and lots of frothing at the mouth by people quick to defend their rights to ride them whenever and wherever they want. Keen to hear the other side of the story, we responded to each and every email (where a return address was included) asking if the writers would care to share their e-scooter experiences. Not one responded.
Action against irresponsible use of e-scooters is becoming more widespread, with a landmark ban in Paris, where local residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of banning them. Ninety percent of residents who voted in the French capital were in favour of a ban on rental scooters, following 459 injuries and three deaths attributed to them in Paris in the past year.
An IAM RoadSmart survey of more than 2000 motorists in the UK reveals that e-scooters could be facing a ban in Britain, if authorities decide to act on the results: 68 percent of respondents were in support of a law totally banning e-scooters.
Reasons cited were that the growing number of e-scooters on the roads is a threat to road safety. Significantly, 74 percent of respondents over the age of 70 felt most at threat, with only 59 percent (still a substantial number) of 17 to 34-year-olds also admitting to feeling threatened.
Not all those feeling besieged by e-scooters wanted a total ban on them, but rather called for smarter and stronger ways for them to be used more safely, a call echoed by seniordriveraus. Eighty six percent of those surveyed declared their support for tougher regulation of the devices, including a law restricting e-scooters to cycle lanes only, enforcing age limits on those who are allowed to use them, and introducing strict design and construction standards.
This survey follows the release of statistics showing there were 1434 casualties involving e-scooters in Britain in 2021, including ten fatalities.
Numbers for Australia are, as usual, incredibly difficult to source, but hospitals are reporting e-scooter casualties are a daily occurrence and the incidence of e-scooter accidents is roughly equivalent to the number of crashes involving motorcycles. Injuries to people riding e-scooters in Victoria have increased by 234 percent in the past year, with at least 427 hospital admissions. In September 2022 (the latest data we could find), three Australians died while riding e-scooters. Two of the riders were not wearing helmets. The most common injuries are fractures to the head and arms and injuries to the head and face.
Action by the various State and Territory governments has been limited. In the ACT, a three-strike rule has been implemented for repeated acts of non-compliance. Queensland has made it compulsory for e-scooter riders to wear either an approved bicycle or motorcycle helmet.
E-scooters are theoretically limited to a top speed of 25km/h, but it is a simple operation to recalibrate them to go much faster. In some cases, it’s no more difficult than flicking a switch.
You can read our previous stories about e-scooters here. In the meantime, seniordriveraus will continue to lobby local authorities about regulating e-scooters and e-scooter riders.
Have you been involved in an e-scooter incident? Were you able to identify to perpetrator? Or get compensation if you were injured or property was damaged? If so, we’d love to hear from you.