A new report suggests there is ‘a world of difference’ between the safety of e-scooters used within rental schemes and those that are privately owned.
The interim report has been published by PACTS, as part of a project funded by the Road Safety Trust to gather information on the safety of private e-scooter use.
It shows that private e-scooters are ‘unlike rental e-scooters in both their construction and use’.
Referring to the build quality of privately-owned e-scooters, the report says ‘there are no standards to be met for their safety or performance and a wide range of models are available’.
Meanwhile, in terms of use, private devices are ‘not fitted with the speed limiters, geofencing control of no-go or go-slow areas or onboard diagnostics afforded by rental e-scooters’.
This leads PACTS to suggest ‘there is no traceability of users and limited ability for enforcement authorities to penalise riders for irresponsible behaviour’.
The report concludes: “PACTS is clear that rental scooters and their use are different in a number of significant respects from private scooters and private use. This will remain so.
“It will not be feasible to impose the sophisticated safety devices and management systems, employed in the better rental schemes, on private e-scooters and users.”
PACTS is urging the Government – which may seek to legalise the private use of e-scooters in 2022 – not to rush any decision.
David Davies, PACTS executive director, said: “Regulations on private use should be based on evidence of private e-scooter use – not on evaluations of hire e-scooters.”
The wider project and a Festival workshop
The PACTS’ study was launched in August 2021 to gather qualitative and quantitative information on the safety of private e-scooters.
Throughout 2021 PACTS has logged accounts of casualties from the internet and social media, and published the figures monthly on its website.
In the first 10 months of 2021, this research shows there have been at least nine deaths involving private e-scooters, and numerous serious injuries to both riders and other road users.
PACTS accepts that while these data are incomplete, ‘in the absence of anything else, they are probably the best available’.
As the project progresses and more data sources are established, PACTS anticipates that the number of non-fatal casualties will increase considerably.
The final project report is expected in early 2022. PACTS says it will then be for the Government to decide if the benefits of e-scooters outweigh the disadvantages.
PACTS is delivering a workshop – titled Private e-scooters: Should they be legalised? – as part of the 2021 Festival of Road Safety.
Click here for more information, or to register to attend the workshop.
I corresponded frequently with PACTS leading up to this report. My opinion is that it is not sufficiently force-full. With 9 rider deaths now this year, England&Wales has already exceeded the death toll in other EU countries despite them being illegal. All 12 deaths so far have been on private e-scooters being driven in public illegally. PACTS is right to say rented e-scooters are far, far safer because of all their high tech behaviour controls; private e-scooters have none. As others have commented, balance and stability is also a huge problem, especially for anyone not used to cycling or having to learn the skills at an older age. PACTS dont report this, but the average age for rider fatalities is now 38 with exactly half being men over 50years old. That might suggest e-scooters should only be permitted for under 50s. This is not as ridiculous as it seems, because balance and coordination skills are hugely more difficult to learn beyond 40.
The staged photos do not give an accurate representation of a typical rider environment ie hoody pulled down, earbuds, looking down at smart phone mounted on handlebars, adverse weather, backpack, passenger on the back (negating use of rear foot brake) pedestrians, traffic etc. Also, I can find no mention of “hacking” the speed/power limiters as a clear and present fact. If there are 500k scooters in circulation, I bet half have either no limiters or have been hacked. Why? Because it is easy and legal to do so. Sheer madness. If you add to that factors such as under-sized wheels, excess power it is highly likely that 100Ks of NON-COMPLIANT e-scooters will hit the streets on day one of legalisation. And the vast majority will be on the pavement because they dont feel safe on the roads due to traffic and potholes (at least 2 fatalities have been attributed to a irregular road surface).
Pete, Nottinghsm
+4
Yes, the foot plate issue is important. Skateboard decks have been concave since the 1980’s to increase foot security and control. They also come in a wide range of widths and concave depths, and in tiny increments so that they fit the riders feet perfectly.
Matthew Renwick McDonald, Exeter
0
Whilst noting the very valid points in this article about technology features, there does seem to me to be a pretty glaring issue at large: fundamentally most scooter foot plates seem too narrow. Old fashioned push along scooters are based on planting a single foot and scooting along. Electric scooters seem to use very similar widths of footplates whilst the user has to squeeze two feet on at odd angles. This looks to cause weight instability and discomfort.
Peter Whitfield, Liverpool
0