Question Remains, are E-scooters Worth it? Safety Concerns Raised

ATLANTA – According to an online article at georgiastatesignal.com, many are questioning whether e-scooters are worth it given safety concerns.*

A year ago, e-scooters seemed promising given that they avoid people having to walk long distances and are environmentally friendly.  Moreover, e-scooter companies such as Bird and Lime soon became an increasingly popular form of transportation, enabling people to avoid using public transportation and ride shares.

Despite the benefits of e-scooters, they are raising significant safety concerns following their release.  Soon after Atlanta allowed e-scooters on their streets, they quickly enacted rules and regulations to control the use of e-scooters.   Such requirements include banning the use of e-scooters on sidewalks, which people still do despite this prohibition.  The reason for this is because there are not enough bike lanes in the city and many e-scooter users fear sharing the road with automobiles.  This poses dangers to pedestrians who are walking on sidewalks.  Many Atlanta pedestrians have been injured as a result of e-scooter use on sidewalks where they were trampled by a reckless rider.

This past year, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution reported that a local hospital saw an increase in injuries associated with the use of e-scooters which “estimated it receives between 80 and 100 scooter-related injuries per month, ranging from serious head injuries to broken limbs.” 

Unfortunately, this situation has not improved.  There have been a surge in e-scooter related deaths where riders have collided with buses and passenger vehicles.  Most recently, a fourth individual died after hitting into a truck.

The Atlanta City Council could not deny the safety risks associated with e-scooters.  They have pushed for a ban on e-scooter riding between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m.

Not only have e-scooter riders ridden on sidewalks, there is also a concern about students who have been seen riding multiple people on a scooter. 

With the known dangers e-scooters have on people and the environment, it is not a mode of transportation that is worth it for all parties involved. The riders, the companies and their investors and the rest of society are all paying unnecessary costs.   

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 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.

Source:https://georgiastatesignal.com/electric-scooters-are-not-worth-it/