Accidents Prompt Concerns Over E-Scooter Safety in Jackson, Mississippi (MS)

JACKSON, MS- Wlbt.com writes that an electric scooter program in Vicksburg, Mississippi, has led to accidents. The incidents have led to concerns over whether e-scooters are safe.

Vicksburg started permitting scooters on its roads less than a month ago, and while residents and visitors have expressed enjoying their time using the-scooters, the crashes are causing many to wonder whether the devices are just too dangerous. The area has hills, and therefore, riders using the-scooters will be on some relatively steep inclines. In one recent accident, a woman attempting to turn on the scooter while riding in the downtown area lost control over the small vehicle and crashed. The individual suffered injuries in the incident. However, despite such accidents, the company and the city express their support for the introduction of the scooters. 

According to the mayor, the scooters are only safe if the people writing them are cautious. E-scooters are not permitted for use on sidewalks. The city has attempted to implement safety standards for the devices, including educational information, which is provided in the app used to rent the devices. 

One recent study on e-scooter safety found that head injuries are a major problem with the devices. In the course of the study, researchers learned that head injuries occur fourteen times for every 100,000 trips on a scooter. Among the people injured using e-scooters, nearly half sustained some sort of head trauma, including fifteen percent who suffered traumatic brain injuries. Of course, requiring riders to use helmets could greatly reduce the number of such devastating injuries. Bone fractures are also common. Because they are used on the road, one of the major concerns is that e-scooters can be involved in crashes with other larger motor vehicles. Fortunately, only ten percent of the accidents involved in the study were those that included an impact with another motor vehicle. 

Accident News is a safety and education initiative from Montlick & Associates, designed to help people better understand and thereby avoid common accident causes.  To learn more about our injury prevention programs, including iridesafe.com - click here. We hope you are never in an accident, but if you or a family member are injured, call Montlick & Associates 24/7 for your free consultation at 1-800-LAW-NEED (1-800-529-6333) or use our live chat at Montlick.com.

Sources:

https://www.wlbt.com/2020/10/05/safety-new-electric-scooters-questioned-after-accidents/

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a27372767/electric-scooters-mobility-safety/