Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Alliance Update United for a Barrier-Free Society for All People with Disabilities
Web: https://www.aodaalliance.org
Email: aodafeedback@gmail.com
Twitter: @aodaalliance
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aodaalliance/
November 29 2021
SUMMARY
Today, the 27th anniversary of the birth of Ontario’s grass roots non-partisan campaign for accessibility for people with disabilities, we show you public overwhelming proof that Ontarians with disabilities are now exposed to a serious and unjustifiable new danger to their safety and accessibility, due to the Ford Government.
As we have been highlighting over the past two years, the Ford Government has decided to give every municipality the authority to allow electric scooters (e-scooters) in their community. We have repeatedly shown how this endangers public safety. This is especially so for vulnerable pedestrians, like people with disabilities, seniors and children. To date, the Ford Government and some municipalities such as the City of Ottawa have disregarded this danger. They have instead listened to the e-scooter rental companies’ corporate lobbyists.
We here provide a deeply troubling and stunningly vivid picture to date of exactly what kinds of dangers this poses for Ontarians, including Ontarians with disabilities. Below is a sampling of 25 news articles from around the world on this topic. These illustrate horrible examples of people being seriously injured or killed, due to e-scooters. If you read any of these stories, you cannot help but be enraged about this danger to the public. If you read all these stories, the feeling only grows.
Below you can read through a sampling of 25 articles from Canada and around the world demonstrating the serious dangers posed by the unchecked use of e-scooters in public spaces (full text of each article included further below). Just their headlines, listed here, is ample to tell the story:
1. Altercation between e-scooter riders and occupants of vehicle before fatal stabbing in downtown Ottawa, police say
2. Vernon woman spent two days in hospital after being struck by rental scooter
3. National pedestrian safety campaign backs Chorley mum’s petition for stricter e-scooter laws after daughter hit
4. Italy debates electric scooter safety after teenager dies in accident
5. E-scooters: Sister of six-year-old boy who had skull fractured by teenage rider calls for under-21 ban
6. Woman who can barely dress herself after being hit by e-scooter lashes out
7. Paris police search for two e-scooter riders after pedestrian killed
8. Child taken to hospital following e-scooter collision
9. Moment teenager on an e-scooter almost ploughs into a lorry while riding on the WRONG side of the road
10. Three-year-old girl left with life-changing injuries after collision with man riding e-scooter
11. Electric scooters drive accident epidemic as young man, 20, latest to die in collision
12. Teen e-scooter rider pleads guilty in incident which caused pedestrian severe brain injuries
13. Girl’s jaw and gums had to be realigned after accident with e-scooter; rider arrested
14. Canterbury woman struck by electric scooter suffers two broken limbs
15. E-scooter casualties in London soar by 570% as number of pedestrians hurt DOUBLES in a year – putting pressure on Sadiq Khan over rental trial scheme
16. 79-year-old woman in hospital after being knocked down by a scooter
17. Actress Lisa Banes dies after being hit by scooter in Manhattan
18. E-scooter drivers endanger other road users significantly more than cyclists
19. He broke his bones, now no one wants to be liable: An e-scooter accident shows dangerous legal gaps
20. E-Scooter riders have little, if any, protection in case of injury or accident
21. Bronx man dies after falling off e-scooter hitting head on ground
22. Man seriously hurt in Clifton e-scooter crash
23. Moment passengers evacuated as e-scooter explodes at London Tube station
24. Oxford e-scooter crash involving pushchair leaves man and child injured
25. Dental injuries on the rise thanks to e-scooter use: study by U of A prof
Please send these articles to your member of the Ontario Legislature, to your mayor and to your municipal councillor. Tell them to say no to e-scooters. Tell them to stand up for people with disabilities, and to stand up to the e-scooter corporate lobbyists.
To learn more about our two-year non-partisan campaign to protect the public, including people with disabilities, from e-scooters, visit the AODA Alliance website’s e-scooter page.
Read about the events 27 years ago today that led up to the birth of Ontarios enduring disability accessibility movement.
^ MORE DETAILS
Altercation between e-scooter riders and occupants of vehicle before fatal stabbing in downtown Ottawa, police say
CTV News July 28, 2021
Ottawa
Originally posted at: https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/altercation-between-e-scooter-riders-and-occupants-of-vehicle-before-fatal-stabbing-in-downtown-ottawa-police-say-1.5526698
Ottawa Police are looking for witnesses to a dispute between three e-scooter riders and the driver of a Volkswagen as the investigation continues into Ottawas 12th homicide of the year.
Eric Hewer, 19, of Nova Scotia died in hospital after being stabbed on Metcalfe Street near Albert Street Monday night. A second victim suffered non-life threatening injuries.
On Wednesday, police said the Homicide Unit has identified all persons involved in the dispute that resulted in the stabbing death of Hewer.
In a statement, police say anyone with information about an altercation between three riders on e-scooters and the occupants of a black Volkswagen at 8:40 p.m. on Metcalfe Street is asked to contact investigators.
You can contact the Ottawa Police Service Homicide Unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5493.
Friends and family say Hewer had just moved to Ottawa to start a new job. A GoFundMe page in memory of Hewer said he was out celebrating the new job and his 19th birthday.
Vernon woman spent two days in hospital after being struck by rental scooter
Castanet, August 28, 2021
Vernon, BC
Originally posted at: https://www.castanet.net/news/Vernon/344210/Vernon-woman-spent-two-days-in-hospital-after-being-struck-by-rental-scooter Isobella Zarathustra remembers very little about the actual impact.
But the Vernon woman does remember seeing a woman operating a bright orange e-scooter when it slammed in to her as she was walking out of the Freshco parking lot last week.
Zarathustra did not immediately realize the extent of the injuries she sustained to her right leg until a few hours after the incident.
She spent the next two days at Vernon Jubilee Hospital.
I checked in both directions and didn’t see the scooter. That’s how fast it was going, said Zarathustra who was left lying on the sidewalk in pain as people gathered around.
I was in a lot of pain. I had my femur bone jammed into my buttocks, she said, adding she has extensive bruising from the collision.
While she does not know who was operating the scooter that is part of a rental program introduced to the city earlier this month, she does know it was a female at the controls.
She was yelling at me ‘Don’t sue me. Just don’t sue me. I can’t afford it,’ Zarathustra said.
The woman then left the scene.
Zarathustra said there were a lot of witnesses to the incident and she is wondering if it was caught on surveillance video from either Freshco or the nearby Schell Motel.
Zarathustra said she is not against the scooter program as having the ability to get around town without creating pollution is a good idea, but she is encouraging people using the scooters to be more careful.
She is also reminding pedestrians to watch out for the battery-powered machines.
National pedestrian safety campaign backs Chorley mum’s petition for stricter e-scooter laws after daughter hit
Lancashire Post September 1st, 2021
Chorley, UK
Originally posted at: https://www.lep.co.uk/news/people/national-pedestrian-safety-campaign-backs-chorley-mums-petition-for-stricter-e-scooter-laws-after-daughter-hit-3367313
Sarah Gayton, Street access campaigns coordinator for the National Federation of the Blind of the UK (NFBUK), is backing Naomi Moazzeny’s petition, arguing e-scooters should be completely eradicated.
The mum from Chorley set up her online petition, which needs to reach 10,000 signatures, after her five-year-old daughter was hit by a speeding scooter in St James’ Park in London earlier this month.
NFBUK is a charity working to improve the overall welfare and quality of daily life for all blind and vision-impaired people, campaigning for spaces where pedestrians are not forced to share spaces with motorised and moving vehicles.
And street campaign coordinator Sarah says that e-scooters are ‘an accident waiting to happen’ that should be permanently banned from being used and sold to the public.
The news comes as Councillor Keith Martin, who sits on South Ribble Borough Council and Penwortham Town Council, issued a warning to parents who buy their children e-scooters, saying “good luck trying to get cheaper car insurance.”
Sarah said: We are mortified to hear yet again someone has been hit in this way by a scooter when enjoying a day with family in a park. It is so worrying that children can fall victim to these electronic scooters.
People are being taken out left right and centre and it just isnt good enough. We want the shops to stop selling them and for them to be completely taken off the streets before more people are hurt or killed.
They should not be making a profit off other peoples danger. Even in areas where there are scooter trials, they are still being misused, may be damaged or have faulty breaks or tyres and pose a huge risk to pedestrians.
In cities, you see them left all over the pavements, which is a trip hazard and just totally unacceptable that these city councils are just ignoring their dangers and letting them be used anywhere.
Over the summer there seems to have been one incident after another involving these scooters. It might seem like a green and efficient way of travelling, but people are putting their lives in the hands of a narrow and flimsy machine.
For blind and visually impaired people, it is even more concerning because they cant move out of the way of a speeding scooter in time. It is terrifying because you cant get them off the pavement and they could so easily hit someone.
Trials of e-scooters are taking place in 32 UK cities, however, it is illegal to use an e-scooter in public unless it is rented as part of a recognised trial scheme.
Salford and Rochdale were among the two latest cities to be introduced to the new trial, with Sarah Gayton speaking to ManchesterWorld about the pilot scheme.
Currently, a petition is nearing 10,000 signatures for tougher requirements to be introduced for people using the scooters, including the need for a permit or drivers license.
There is a growing list of incidents involving e-scooters and at least four people in the UK have died in e-scooters crashes.
And according to an investigation by ITVs Tonight programme, there have been 1,100 complaints and 210 people have suffered injuries in incidents involving e-scooters since trials began.
Italy debates electric scooter safety after teenager dies in accident
Milan, Italy
Wanted in Milan September 7th, 2021
Originally posted at: https://www.wantedinmilan.com/news/italy-debates-electric-scooter-safety-after-teen-death.html
Five fatal electric scooter accidents in Italy so far this year.
The death of a 13-year-old boy in an electric scooter accident near Milan has reignited calls in Italy for stricter regulations to protect the safety of those using the popular mode of transport.
The teenager died on 30 August after being allowed to use the electric scooter of a 17-year-old who could now risk facing charges of manslaughter for “omitting due caution in giving his vehicle to a person under the age of 14”, reports news agency ANSA.
Helmets for e-scooter users
The boy’s death, in Sesto S. Giovanni in the outskirts of Milan, led the town’s mayor Roberto Di Stefano to introduce legislation obliging all electric scooter users to wear a helmet.
The mayor also brought in maximum speed limits of 20 km/h on cycle paths and 5 km/h in pedestrian areas.
Sesto S. Giovanni is reportedly the first town in Italy to introduce such sanctions, with the mayor announcing on Monday that five people have been fined by local police since the measures come into force last week.
Lombardia bill
Meanwhile the Lombardia region around Milan has approved a bill amending existing provisions governing electric scooters. The bill would ban under 18s from using e-scooters and enforce all electric scooter drivers to wear helmets.
Italian consumer group files complaint over Rome electric scooters
The move comes amid growing calls in Italy for compulsory helmets and speed limits for e-scooter users, with Italy’s association of driving schools saying that training courses and licenses should also be obligatory, reports ANSA.
Fatal accidents
So far this year five electric scooter users have died in Italy, including 13-year-old Fabio Mosca in Sesto S. Giovanni, reports newspaper La Stampa.
On 9 February a 34-year-old woman died in Genoa after being hit by a lorry.
A 52-year-old man lost control of his scooter in Infernetto near Rome on 23 June, hitting his face off the ground and dying from the impact.
A 27-year-old man from Sri Lanka died in the centre of Florence on 9 August after his e-scooter collided with a moped and he hit his head off the pavement.
In Rome, on the Via Gregorio VII cycle path near the Vatican, a 27-year-old man originally from the Philippines died in hospital in recent days, after three weeks in a coma following an incident whose dynamics remain unclear.
There was one fatal e-scooter accident in Italy in 2020: on 11 June last year a 60-year-old scooter user was hit by a car at a roundabout in Budrio, in the Bologna area, hitting his head off the ground and dying from his injuries the next day.
Italy: Florence wants to make helmets mandatory for electric scooter users
Official ACI-Istat data reveals that between May 2020 and the end of last year there were 564 road accidents in Italy involving at least one electric scooter.
E-scooters in Rome
Electric scooters have become extremely popular in Rome in recent years, particularly with young people, providing a convenient way to get from A to B, with several scooter rental companies operating in the capital.
However the e-scooters are not without their critics who point to the by-now normal sight of users (illegally) carrying passengers, travelling at speed on sidewalks or in the wrong direction on streets, as well as the anti-social “parking” of scooters abandoned on pavements and streets.
E-scooters: Sister of six-year-old boy who had skull fractured by teenage rider calls for under-21 ban
Sky News May 1st, 2021
Originally posted at: https://news.sky.com/story/e-scooters-sister-of-six-year-old-boy-who-suffered-fractured-skull-after-being-hit-by-teenage-rider-calls-for-under-21-ban-12287604
The sister of a six-year-old boy who suffered a fractured skull after being hit by an e-scooter rider has called for a ban on the devices for under-21s.
It comes as latest figures show more than 70 people have been injured during the government’s e-scooter trials – including 11 people who were seriously hurt.
Brooklyn Smith said her little brother Jamie suffers anxiety attacks at the sight of e-scooters after he was knocked unconscious by a teenager riding one of the vehicles in Leicester.
The 17-year-old boy, who failed to stop after the collision, pleaded guilty to several offences over the incident including causing a serious injury by dangerous driving.
He was sentenced to a 12-month youth referral order and has been banned from the road for two years, Leicestershire Police said.
Privately-owned e-scooters are illegal to ride on public roads and pavements. Only rental e-scooters can be ridden on roads in areas taking part in the government’s official trials.
Ms Smith, 21, told Sky News that when her family walk past an e-scooter rider now they face Jamie in the opposite direction or change their route “because he has a complete anxiety attack”.
She said she continues to see e-scooter riders “flying around on them like there’s no tomorrow” near the family’s home, despite trials of the devices not running in Leicester.
Ms Smith told Sky News: “I don’t think they should be able to reach the speeds that they reach.
“It’s going to be stupid for us to sit here and say: ‘We want them banned. We never want them to be made again.’ That’s not realistic.
“They need to make sure that nothing like this is going to happen again.”
Jamie had to be airlifted to hospital after being struck by the e-scooter rider outside his home in August.
Ms Smith said her brother still suffers memory loss and it took him six weeks to be able to look in a mirror after the incident “because his own reflection genuinely frightened him”.
She has now called for people to be “at least over 21” before they can buy or rent e-scooters.
“They’re too easily accessible,” she added.
“At the end of the day, the speed they can reach, you’re asking for disaster.”
The government is trialling rental e-scooters in more than 40 towns and cities as it considers whether to legalise them on UK roads.
The Department for Transport (DfT) told Sky News that 11 incidents involving “serious” injuries have been recorded since the trials were launched last year, up to 25 March this year.
It said “serious injuries” meant those which required medical treatment such as fractures, concussion and cuts, but none required “in-patient” treatment.
A further 62 incidents involving “slight” injuries were recorded, such as sprains, bruises or cuts, that did not require medical treatment, the DfT added.
It said accident rates “appear to be low” as more than two million trips have been taken on rental e-scooters during the trials.
But the charity Guide Dogs said it believed the actual number of people injured by e-scooters is “much higher” as some incidents go unreported and the government’s figures do include those which are privately-owned.
Chris Theobald, the charity’s senior campaigns manager, said: “In the rush to roll out e-scooters in our towns and cities, people with sight loss are being forgotten.
“E-scooters operate quietly which makes them extremely difficult to detect if you can’t see very well.
“We need to make e-scooters safer, tackle dangerous and anti-social behaviour by e-scooter drivers and stop unregulated sales of high-speed e-scooters.”
A DfT spokesman told Sky News that “while feedback from the trials has been generally positive about their impact, we know there have been a small number of instances where e-scooters have been misused”.
Six students were banned from the road in March for drink-driving while riding rental e-scooters in Newcastle – including one who was almost four times over the limit.
However the DfT was unable to provide the total number of people convicted of riding e-scooters while over the alcohol limit during the trials.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) also refused to reveal how many people have been prosecuted for riding e-scooters while over the drink-driving limit in England and Wales.
Following a freedom of information request by Sky News, the CPS said a “manual review of cases” involving road traffic offences would be needed to determine if e-scooters were involved, which would exceed the cost limit set out by the FOI Act.
E-scooter trials are expected to launch in London in the coming weeks, with an announcement on the start date expected after the city’s mayoral election on 6 May.
People renting e-scooters from operators taking part in the trials need to have a full or provisional car, motorcycle or moped licence, and they have been urged to wear a helmet.
Only rental e-scooters are allowed on roads but not pavements, and they are limited to 15.5mph.
Privately-owned e-scooters cannot be used on the UK’s roads – one of the last countries in Europe where this is the case – due to their classification as a motor vehicle under the Road Traffic Act 1988.
Motor vehicles are required to have number plates, with users needing to have a driver’s licence, insurance and wear a helmet.
In October, MPs recommended that e-scooters should be legalised in the UK within 18 months to help make cities greener.
YouTube star Emily Hartridge became the first e-scooter rider to be killed in the UK in July 2019.
Woman who can barely dress herself after being hit by e-scooter lashes out
Brisbane Times September 2, 2021
Brisbane, Australia
Originally posted at: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/woman-who-can-barely-dress-herself-after-being-hit-by-e-scooter-lashes-out-at-council-20210901-p58nyl.html A Brisbane woman who can barely dress herself after she suffered a nose bleed, bruised face and a badly sprained wrist when she was hit by an e-scooter rider has criticised authorities for allowing the vehicles on footpaths.
Robyn Abell was on her way to meet her family at the Montague Markets in West End on Thursday, August 26 when she was hit by one of two riders on Beam e-scooters.
As a result, she fell to the ground and hit her nose, arm and wrist on the pavement.
The 73-year-old said she had X-rays the following morning at Mater Hospital Brisbane Adult Emergency Room.
I didnt sleep at all, and my arm was very painful, she said.
I can barely dress myself, so my daughter is having to take time off work to help me.
There are no breakages, but my wrist is badly sprained. The worst thing is not looking after myself and I certainly cant drive. Im about $400 out of pocket.
While Brisbane City Council has added 2000 ride-share e-scooters to city streets through a tender process, state government regulations allow them to be ridden on footpaths.
Ms Abell said she approached lawyers and was considering her legal options.
There was something to do with this scooter company not having third-party insurance, but they said all I could do is ago ahead with a civil complaint against the riders, she said.
I dont want to do that. Id much rather see something done about the scooters being on the footpath. Its dangerous.
Weve already had one person killed in West End. Its only a matter of time until a child is killed.
The council did not provide injury and crash data to Brisbane Times. However, a spokesman said operators were required to provide data to the council.
This data only covers shared scheme incidents that have been reported to the operators themselves, he said.
Brisbanes e-scooter operators are required to have public liability insurance and will be required to have third-party insurance when the insurance industry makes it commonly available.
Greens councillor Jonathan Sri said he was concerned e-scooter crash reports were not being collected by the local and state governments.
Residents like Robyn should be able to feel safe walking along the footpath. Ive been hearing from quite a few residents who say that local footpaths arent wide enough for e-scooters to use them safely, he said.
Ideally e-scooters should not be sharing space with pedestrians or cars.
Ms Abell reported the issue to council and police and was told they couldnt do anything.
A Beam spokeswoman said two minor crashes had been reported in Brisbane since its launch.
In all incidents, we work closely with our riders and community members to support them, and we encourage anyone who witnesses or is involved in an accident involving Beam to reach out directly to us, she said.
A spokesman said Beam was developing third-party liability insurance tailored to a future of widespread micro-mobility.
Beam has comprehensive rider insurance, subject to local regulations, she said.
Our personal accident insurance policy is written locally by local insurers the only provider in Brisbane to do this and is designed to take into account our target audience, which includes Australians under 18.
A Transport and Main Roads spokeswoman said no changes to the laws around e-scooters were being considered at this time.
Personal mobility devices, such as e-scooters, which have become popular following an initiative by Brisbane City Council, are considered pedestrians under the law, she said.
The spokeswoman said riders needed to give way to pedestrians and share the path while travelling no more than 25km/h.
They must also travel at a speed that allows them to stop safely, especially around pedestrians, she said.
PMDs are able to use bicycle paths, including the Brisbane City Council CityLink Cycleway.
This is because the path is separated from the rest of the road by raised kerbing.
The spokeswoman said riders were not permitted to travel on main roads, on-road bike lanes or on roads in central business district areas for safety reasons.
Paris police search for two e-scooter riders after pedestrian killed
The Guardian June 19th, 2021
Paris, France
Originally posted at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/19/paris-police-search-for-two-e-scooter-riders-after-pedestrian-killed
Police are searching for two women after a pedestrian who was hit by an electric scooter while walking in Paris died.
The victim, a 31-year-old Italian named only as Miriam, had been in a coma since she was hit by the e-scooter, which was reportedly travelling at speed, while she walked along the Seine in the early hours of Monday.
Divers from the river police, who were patrolling the area, gave emergency treatment to the victim, who suffered a cardiac arrest after hitting her head on the pavement, until an ambulance arrived.
They restarted her heart after 30 minutes and she was taken unconscious to hospital, where she died on Wednesday.
The public prosecutors office has opened an investigation into murder, aggravated by failure to stop. Police have appealed for witnesses to the fatal incident, which happened at 1am on the Voie Georges-Pompidou on the right bank of the Seine near the Île de la Cité, and are attempting to trace the e-scooters two female riders.
CCTV in the area is also being examined.
The death has rekindled controversy about the place of e-scooters in the French capital. Though hailed as an ecological means of urban transport and a welcome alternative to motorised vehicles, others have claimed they pose a risk to pedestrians, particularly as they are often used on pavements.
It also came as London embarked on a 12-month trial of electric scooters on 7 June, after pilot schemes in more than 40 towns and cities across the UK in advance of a government decision whether to legalise them on UK roads.
About 70 people are believed to have been injured since the trials were launched last year. Privately owned e-scooters are illegal to use on public roads, cycle lanes and pavements, but those rented in trial areas can be used on roads and cycle lanes.
A scheme operated by the Swedish firm Voi in Coventry was paused after five days because of people riding in pedestrianised areas.
There are three licensed private operators in Paris offering about 15,000 electric scooters, introduced to the city in 2018.
David Belliard, a deputy Paris mayor responsible for transport in the city, expressed his condolences to family and friends of the dead woman, originally from Capalbio in Tuscany, who worked in an Italian restaurant.
The safety of the most vulnerable, thats to say pedestrians, is one of my priorities, he said, and called on the two riders to come forward.
Police in Balaruc-les-Bains in the Hérault region stopped a man riding at 98km/h (61mph) on an electric scooter in May.
Child taken to hospital following e-scooter collision
Daily Echo September 4th, 2021
Bournemouth, UK
Originally posted at: https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/19558409.child-taken-hospital-following-e-scooter-collision/ A FOUR-YEAR-OLD boy has been taken to hospital with a suspected fractured collarbone following a collision with an e-scooter on Bournemouth seafront.
The incident occurred at 1pm on Friday, September 3, on the promenade near to Boscombe Pier during the second day of the Bournemouth Air Festival.
The boy, from Christchurch, was taken to Poole Hospital following the incident.
The e-scooter rider, a man in his 30s from Lancashire, has been interviewed on suspicion of driving offences under The Road Traffic Act.
An investigation into the collision is underway.
Dorset Police is urging e-scooter riders to be aware of pedestrians and other road users.
The e-scooter involved was hired through Beryl as part of a trial currently operating in Bournemouth and Poole, which allows individuals to hire an e-scooter from an official government scheme and ride legally. These scooters have a reduced speed limit.
Privately owned e-scooters are currently illegal to use in public places such as pavements, cycle lanes, beach promenades or any publicly accessible land, such as parks.
Police Sergeant Lee Savage, of the traffic unit, said: This collision happened during the Bournemouth Air Festival, which has seen hundreds of thousands of people visit the seafront with thousands more visitors expected over the weekend.
We are yet again urging people not to ride either Beryl or privately-owned e-scooters inside the festival site because of the sheer number of people in the area and to help keep people safe.
Throughout this weekend our officers and council staff will be stopping people riding e-scooters inside the festival site area. If they are privately-owned, they will be seized and if they are part of the Beryl scheme, riders will be encouraged to dismount. Should they commit any offences they will be dealt with under the Road Traffic Act.
A spokesperson for Beryl said: ”We are very sorry to hear of this incident in Bournemouth, and will be supporting in any way we can. We send our very best wishes to the young boy who has been injured, and hope for a speedy recovery.
”All riders of Beryl e-scooters, as part of the ongoing Department for Transport trial, must do so sensibly and in line with our rules and guidelines.
”Users of all types of vehicles should take care when travelling in shared spaces, especially when there is a high number of pedestrians.”
The illegal use of e-scooters remains an important element of Dorset Polices Operation Relentless anti-social behaviour priority and this summer the Force has carried out two days of action.
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner David Sidwick said: This must have been a horrible experience for the young child involved and I wish him a speedy recovery, but this incident once again highlights the dangers posed by using e-scooters in public places.
Please, if youre travelling to the Air Festival this weekend on a Beryl e-scooter, dont use it at the event itself its far too busy. And, if youre travelling in a public place on a private e-scooter, you run the risk of having the item seized.
In total since the beginning of the year, more than 40 riders of privately owned e-scooters have been stopped and spoken to before being issued with warnings.
Officers also have the power to seize e-scooters that are either found to be used illegally or involved in criminal activity.
Moment teenager on an e-scooter almost ploughs into a lorry while riding on the WRONG side of the road
Daily Mail September 10th, 2021
Isle of Wight, UK
Originally posted at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9977013/E-scooter-rider-ploughs-lorry-riding-WRONG-road.html The moment an e-scooter rider almost ploughs into a lorry while travelling on the wrong side of the ride has been caught on video.
The near-miss was captured on Andy Phillips’ dash cam while he was driving his lorry in Nettlestone, Isle of Wight, on Wednesday evening.
The footage shows the fish and chip shop owner travelling along a dark road before the teenager on a hired electric scooter appears from a side road.
Travelling on the wrong side of the road, the teenager tries to stop as he sees Andy’s mobile chippy truck.
He skids and manages to scramble off the e-scooter and slips into the path of the lorry and hits the front of it.
Andy – who runs the Jolly Fryer, on the Isle of Wight – said the youth was fortunate to escape unharmed.
Andy, who runs the Jolly Fryer fish and chip shop on the Isle of Wight, said he ‘could so easily have been waking up with the thought of having someone die under the wheels of my truck’
But he added: ‘I could so easily have been waking up with the thought of having someone die under the wheels of my truck.
‘He was on the wrong side of the road.
‘He clearly didn’t expect other traffic to be on the roads. He appeared to be of school age.
‘His excuse? ‘It just went into a skid, I wasn’t going too fast’.’
Andy alerted police and was told the incident had been logged, but that no further action will be taken.
Andy said the teen was on a Beryl e-scooter that can be hired across the UK from councils – including in Bournemouth, Dorset and Norwich, Norfolk.
Andy added: ‘I phoned the Isle of Wight Council on Thursday, because according to blurb put out at the start of the scheme they were proud to be part of such a groundbreaking idea.
‘But they apparently have no idea who, on the Island, runs them and also didn’t want to know.’
Isle of Wight Council has been approached for comment.
A spokesman for Hampshire Constabulary said: ‘We received a report of a collision on Nettlestone Hill, at 8.57pm on 8 September.
‘An E-scooter had gone underneath a lorry. The rider was not on the scooter at the point of the collision and no-one was injured.’
In 2018, there were four recorded e-scooter collisions in London, which rose to 32 in 2019. Accident numbers are thought to be under-reported, as riders using them in prohibited areas are unlikely to tell police about collisions.
Figures show the number of riders harmed in collisions in London alone leapt from 27 in 2019 to 181 between January and November 2020.
The number of pedestrians hurt by e-scooters doubled over the same period, from 13 to 26, according to data released under Freedom of Information legislation.
A study by TfL, based on US data, found riders needed hospital treatment after accidents every 3.1 years on average, with many suffering head or neck injuries.
Three-year-old girl left with life-changing injuries after collision with man riding e-scooter
The Independent July 20th, 2021
London, UK
Originally posted at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/toddler-escooter-accident-london-police-b1887563.html
A three-year-old girl has been left with life-changing injuries after a collision with a young man riding an e-scooter in a south London park, according to police.
The toddler and her family were at Myatts Fields Park in Lambeth when the incident took place, at about 8:30pm on Monday.
Electric scooters drive accident epidemic as young man, 20, latest to die in collision
Express July 1, 2021
Wolverhampton, UK
Originally posted at: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1456898/electric-scooters-collision-deaths-accident-epidemic
Shakur Pinnock, 20, suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured skull, two severed arteries, a broken jaw and punctured lungs when his electric stand-up scooter was involved in a collision with a car in Wolverhampton last month. His girlfriend Chanté Hoosang, who was a passenger on the scooter, was also seriously injured. Just six days after the incident, Pinnock died from his injuries at Birminghams Queen Elizabeth Hospital. His mother Celine Fraser-Pinnock posted the message on Facebook: I miss you so much. My beautiful, gorgeous baby.
Despite such obvious dangers, e-scooters are now a common sight on the streets of Britain. Many road users tell stories about nearly being hit or watching e-scooters weaving through traffic, across pavements or the wrong way up one-way streets.
Sometimes carrying passengers, often young children, their riders almost never wear helmets. Aside from Department for Transport-sanctioned trials staged around the UK right now, they are illegal except on private land. Riders risk a £300 fixed penalty notice and six points on their driving licence if stopped by police.
Predominantly made overseas, bought and sold online and costing as little as £300, which puts them within the reach of young people, their availability and ease of use has seen tens of thousands sold in the UK.
Research suggests they are 100 times more dangerous than bicycles, yet arrests and seizures by the authorities appear relatively uncommon. At least four people including Shakur Pinnock are now known to have died in accidents across the UK involving these new battery-powered scooters
Perhaps the most high-profile case was that of 35-year-old TV presenter Emily Hartridge who, in July 2019, was killed in a collision with a lorry in south London.
She is believed to be the UKs first fatality involving such a vehicle.
We all loved her to bits and she will never be forgotten, her family said after the tragic accident. She has touched so many lives.
Emilys boyfriend, Jake Hazell, a former contestant on the 2021 series of TV show SAS: Who Dares Wins, bought the e-scooter for her and later explained how much he regretted the gift.
It is an adult toy and obviously there is a massive risk that comes with it, he told the BBC. The road had a massive part to play in Emilys accident. The condition of the road was shocking. It wasnt necessarily Emilys, the scooters or the drivers fault. I dont blame the driver whatsoever. Chief Superintendent Simon Ovens of the Metropolitan Polices road and transport policing command, says e-scooters remain notoriously dangerous, and illegal when driven in public areas or on the roads.
He added: Under the Road Traffic Act 1988, it is the equivalent of riding a motorcycle on the road without any MOT, tax or insurance.
Last week police confiscated more than 500 e-scooters from the streets of London during proactive patrols across all boroughs. There are also suggestions they have become the ride-of-choice for criminals, with robberies, assaults and even in one alarming incident a drive-by shooting having been carried out on the devices.
The legal scooters being used in the Department for Transport trials are capped with a top speed of 15.5mph. However, Chief Supt Ovens is concerned that illegal users sometimes modify them to go faster. Whilst we have seized e-scooters which can operate up to 40mph, there are some which can reach 70mph, he said.
Most e-scooters are designed so that riders stand on a narrow deck, supported by small wheels often with pneumatic tyres which are propelled by an electric battery-powered motor. At the front, a stem rises up to handlebars where the brakes and accelerator are operated.
Users see these vehicles as a fast and convenient way to commute, while certain pedestrians view them as a menace. Used responsibly, they can transport riders around busy towns in record time.
But at full speed and without due care and attention or carrying extra passengers they risk injury and death.
In June 2020 57-year-old charity fundraiser Barrie Howes lost control of his scooter while speeding down a steep road in Chatham, Kent. He was thrown off and, despite wearing a helmet, suffered brain injuries. Nine days later he died in hospital. In September 2020 55-year-old Julian Thomas was killed when his e-scooter struck a parked car in Swansea.
The legal scooters being used in the Department for Transport trials are capped with a top speed of 15.5mph. However, Chief Supt Ovens is concerned that illegal users sometimes modify them to go faster. Whilst we have seized e-scooters which can operate up to 40mph, there are some which can reach 70mph, he said.
So far the Department for Transport has recorded more than two million trips, covering a total distance of more than 3.1 million miles.
We believe that e-scooters can offer an affordable, reliable and sustainable way to travel during a time of social distancing, improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the UK, a department spokesperson said. E-scooters could help ease the burden on our transport network.
Living Streets is a charity which campaigns for pedestrians.
Pavements are for people, but more and more people are scooting on them illegally, said chief executive Stephen Edwards.
The speed, acceleration and quietness of e-scooters causes alarm to pedestrians. We need speeds to be capped and robust police enforcement against dangerous riders. We previously asked the Government to cap speeds at 12.5mph instead of the 15.5mph adopted for the trials.
Edwards claims that e-scooters are more difficult to handle than bicycles.
They have smaller wheels, the footplates are closer to the ground and if you meet a pothole you are much more likely to come off than if you are cycling.
The poor state of our roads combined with high levels of traffic lead us to believe that we dont have the right infrastructure currently in place to support e-scooters
Teen e-scooter rider pleads guilty in incident which caused pedestrian severe brain injuries
Strait Times June 13th, 2018
Singapore
Originally posted at: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/teen-e-scooter-rider-pleads-guilty-in-incident-which-caused-pedestrian-severe
Just two months after his father gave him an electric scooter, a teenager knocked into a pedestrian, causing her to suffer severe brain injuries.
Nicholas Ting Nai Jie, 18, had failed to keep a proper lookout while riding the e-scooter on Sept 17, 2016.
Madam Ang Liu Kiow, a 55-year-old mother of three, was left in a month-long coma. Her husband told The Straits Times in a subsequent interview that his wife can no longer remember the past or express herself properly.
On Wednesday (June 13), Ting pleaded guilty to causing grievous hurt to Madam Ang, a housewife, while riding his e-scooter in a negligent manner.
The court heard that the 14kg device cost $1,600 and his father had bought it in July 2016.
On the day of the incident, Ting had his girlfriend with him on the e-scooter and they made their way to Pasir Ris East Community Club.
The instructions manual of his e-scooter had warned against riding with a pillion rider but he ignored it.
The teenager was moving at about 15kmh on a footpath in Pasir Ris Drive 1 when he approached a bus stop.
The court heard that he failed to keep a proper lookout and did not reduce his speed even though there were pedestrians in the vicinity. He also did not sound the horn to inform them that he was approaching the area.
When Madam Ang stepped onto the footpath in front of the bus stop, Ting applied the brakes but it was too late.
Assistant Public Prosecutor Dillon Kok said: “The e-scooter impacted the left side of the victim, causing her to fall and hit her head on the ground. After the collision, the victim sat on the footpath and appeared dazed.
“She was helped by pedestrians to rest on the seats of the bus stop. It was observed that her eyes were open but she was not responsive. She also vomited yellowish fluid a few times.”
Ting and his girlfriend remained at the scene and alerted the police. An ambulance took Madam Ang to Changi General Hospital, where she was found to be bleeding in her brain.
The court heard that her medical, hospitalisation and therapy fees have come up to more than $107,000. After government subsidies and an insurance payout, her out-of-pocket expenses were $2,470.65 as of August last year.
Ting is expected to be sentenced on Thursday.
On May 1 this year, new laws governing the use of personal mobility devices such as e-scooters were rolled out. As part of the Active Mobility Act, power-assisted bicycles are not allowed on footpaths while e-scooters are banned on public roads.
The speed limits are 15kmh on footpaths and 25kmh on park connectors and shared paths.
First-time offenders who flout the usage rules and speed limits may be fined up to $1,000 or jailed for up to three months, or both. Repeat offenders may have their fine and jail terms doubled.
The new law also sets limits on the size and speed of the devices that can be used on public paths. These cannot weigh more than 20kg each and must have their speeds capped at 25kmh.
Those who use devices that flout these rules can be jailed for up to three months and fined up to $5,000.
Girl’s jaw and gums had to be realigned after accident with e-scooter; rider arrested
Today Online April 13, 2018
Singapore
Originally posted at: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/girls-jaw-and-gums-had-be-realigned-after-accident-e-scooter-rider-arrested An 11-year-old girl had to have her jaw and gums realigned, after an e-scooter crashed into her on Thursday (April 12) evening along Pasir Ris Drive 1.
The child, who also lost two of her teeth and suffered multiple cuts and abrasions, cried when she saw her face in the mirror, said her father Rahmat Nizam Samat, 38, a civil servant.
The police say they have arrested the e-scooter rider, a 24-year-old man. Investigations are ongoing.
Recounting the incident, Mr Rahmat said his wife received a call from an unknown number at around 7.15pm on Thursday, telling her that her daughter had been involved in an accident and was bleeding from her mouth outside Pasir Ris East Community Club.
He rushed to the scene, where he was told that his daughter had been hit from the back by an e-scooter. She was later taken to the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where a doctor had to realign her jaw and gums.
The child also suffered cuts and abrasions to her head, under the right eye, left palm, elbows and knees. She is currently on seven days of medical leave.
She has not been able to eat anything except a few pieces of watermelons due to her swollen gums, said Mr Rahmat.
He added that he will be seeking legal action against the e-scooter rider once the police have concluded their investigations.
Thursdays incident is the latest in a series of accidents involving pedestrians and users of e-scooters and personal mobility devices.
Last month, three e-scooter drivers were charged in court for injuring pedestrians, among them a 61-year-old woman and two boys aged eight and 11, on three separate occasions in 2017.
Mandatory registration of e-scooters was announced in March this year by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), which had earlier introduced similar requirements for electric bicycles. Tough new penalties have also kicked in for unregistered or non-compliant e-bikes.
The authorities have been taking tougher action against errant users of personal mobility devices like e-scooters and e-bikes in the past year, amid growing complaints about speeding and reckless behaviour by the riders.
In January, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan said in Parliament that there were 30 e-scooter accidents involving pedestrians on footpaths and walkways between January and September last year. The Minister also noted that the LTA had issued more than 1,700 advisories for unsafe riding behaviour that year.
Canterbury woman struck by electric scooter suffers two broken limbs
Kent Online November 27th, 2020
Canterbury, UK
Originally posted at: https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/i-was-hit-by-an-e-scooter-but-it-felt-like-a-car-238143/ A mum-of-three suffered two broken limbs when she was knocked down by an electric scooter while walking along a pavement.
Pauline Lilford, 58, has been left bed-bound and unable to care for her elderly mother who has dementia, following the shocking crash in Canterbury.
She says the incident has left her concerned about the roll-out of e-scooters across the city – fearing things could have been much worse had a child or elderly person been struck.
Youd think oh its just a scooter, but with the injuries that have come from it, its more like Ive been hit by a car, she said.
Mrs Lilford was on a morning stroll with her husband at about 8am on November 10, when she was knocked to the floor by a man illegally riding a privately-owned scooter on St Thomas Hill.
I was on the inside of the pavement, she said. We were just chatting about the day ahead.
I didnt hear anything. Then I was aware of somebody shouting and I turned slightly, and was hit from behind.
I didnt know what had hit me until I was on the ground. Then I realised it was a young chap on a scooter.
My husband and I were both completely shocked.
I tried to get up but I couldnt. Then the pain kicked in, and I started shaking with shock.
Mrs Lilford, of Forty Acres Road, thanked those who stopped to help her – including an off-duty doctor, and those who lent her a mobile phone and duvet.
She described the scooter rider as very shaken up by the crash. Police soon arrived, and he was issued with a Traffic Offence Report for use of a vehicle without insurance, while the scooter was seized.
Mrs Lilford was taken by ambulance to the QEQM hospital in Margate with fractures to her arm and leg.
She was in hospital for five days, requiring surgery to rewire her elbow which was smashed up in the crash.
She is now back at home on bed-rest, but is facing further repercussions on her family life.
Her 85-year-old mum, who has dementia and usually lives with Mrs Lilford, has had to be placed in a nursing home while she is unable to care for her.
Its just added to the trauma, really, said Mrs Lilford.
Due to Covid-19 measures, the care home was unable to accept her mum if she had been in contact with Mrs Lilford after her stay in hospital.
So mum had to go in before I came home, and I havent seen her since the crash, she said.
Mrs Lilford is also facing up to two months off work, from her job as office manager at her husbands chartered surveyors firm in Canterbury.
Poor Mike is having to get extra help in to do my job, and then train people on what to do, she said.
And were very busy – we were run off our feet before this happened, so its very frustrating.
A 12-month trial of e-scooters launched in Canterbury just a week before the crash.
The vehicles are currently operating on a restricted route serving students from the citys universities, but it is hoped the trial will be expanded to cover large areas of the city in the coming year.
While the man who crashed into her was riding a privately owned e-scooter – which is currently illegal in public areas – Mrs Lilford says she has been left concerned about the wider roll-out of the vehicles.
Its made me feel quite frightened, and wary of it, she said.
Youd think oh its just a scooter, but with the injuries that have come from it, its more like Ive been hit by a car.
If it is going to happen, the regulations need to be so stringent. But how can they actually make sure that people are sticking to it?
Im not keen on them at all – I dont think its such a good idea. I think what happened needs highlighting.
Being 58, I think Im reasonably fit. But if it had been someone frailer, or a child that was hit, it could have been a very different story.
Trial safety
It is hoped safety features such as a speed cap will prevent similar incidents from occurring during the citys e-scooter trial.
Bird – the electric scooter lending company appointed by Kent County Council to head up the trial – declined to comment on the crash and Mrs Lilfords concerns.
Just days before the incident, city councillor Dave Wilson had raised concerns over the danger e-scooters could pose to pedestrians. But it is hoped that technology used by Bird – which remotely controls where the authorised scooters can go, and how fast – will prevent such incidents happening during the trial.
On main roads with cycle lanes, Bird scooters can go up to 15mph, while in pedestrian areas they are capped at 5mph.
Meanwhile other areas are designated no ride zones and they power down if they cross the trial boundary.
Bird has not had any incidents since launching in Canterbury.
Insp Guy Thompson, of Canterbury Community Safety Unit, warned e-scooters are subject to the same legal requirements as motor vehicles. He said anyone found using them illegally faces a potential fine and the scooter being seized.
E-scooter casualties in London soar by 570% as number of pedestrians hurt DOUBLES in a year – putting pressure on Sadiq Khan over rental trial scheme
Daily Mail June 26th, 2021
London, UK
Originally posted at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9729033/E-scooter-casualties-London-soar-570-number-pedestrians-hurt-DOUBLES-year.html
E-scooter casualties in London soared by more than 570 per cent in just a year but the true increase is likely to be far higher.
Figures show the number of riders injured in collisions in the capital leapt from 27 in 2019 to 181 between January and November 2020.
The number of pedestrians hurt by e-scooters doubled over the same period, from 13 to 26, according to data released under Freedom of Information legislation.
In an email to crash victims passed to The Mail on Sunday by a pedestrian hit by an e-scooter, a Metropolitan Police officer admitted: ‘We know collisions are increasing, but they are still incredibly under-reported.’
The force has recently cracked down on illegal e-scooter use in the capital, seizing more than 500 last week. Despite that, the sharp rise in collisions will put London Mayor Sadiq Khan under pressure after he gave the green light to a year-long e-scooter rental trial in six of the capital’s boroughs.
It comes as charities warn that e-scooters are endangering the lives of blind people, even forcing them to re-train their guide dogs.
Sarah Gayton, street access campaign co-ordinator at the National Federation of the Blind, said: ‘The mounting deaths, serious head injuries, broken bones and lives devastated or changed forever has to be a wake-up call to the very politicians who allowed the trials to start. When there are so many other mobility options available in cities and towns, why would you put your life at risk by jumping on an e-scooter?’
More than 70 per cent of the public have reported seeing an e-scooter being driven illegally on a pavement, according to a survey of over 2,000 people by the charity Guide Dogs. A spokesman said: ‘Fast-moving and silent vehicles such as e-scooters are always much more difficult for blind and partially sighted people to detect and thus it becomes very difficult for the dog’s training to be reinforced.’
Vaughan Rees, 79, who lost his sight 40 years ago in a car accident, was nearly knocked over by an e-scooter outside his local Tesco store in Warwickshire. ‘The incident has made me feel frightened and shaken up,’ he said. ‘Because the scooters are silent it gives me the added disadvantage of being oblivious to them. I have to heavily rely on my hearing, which is not good.’
Zoe Courtney, of the Royal National Institute of Blind People, said: ‘E-scooters are fast-moving, difficult to detect and are often ridden on the pavement, despite this being illegal.
‘We want to see the rules on not using e-scooters on pavements enforced, adequate off-pavement parking provided, and the appropriate street infrastructure in place to keep pedestrians safe.’
79-year-old woman in hospital after being knocked down by a scooter
Majorca Daily Bulletin July 20th, 2021
Majorca, Spain
Originally posted at: https://www.majorcadailybulletin.com/news/local/2021/08/20/88425/year-old-woman-mallorca-hospital-after-scooter-accident.html Palma police say that barely a day passes without there being an accident involving an electric scooter. Some accidents are serious – a 17-year-old was badly injured on Wednesday when he went through a red light and was knocked down. The day before, 79-year-old Daniela was knocked down on a pedestrian crossing. She lost consciousness and was admitted to the Clinica Rotger (close to the scene of the accident) with fractures to an arm and to the face. Doctors have yet to decide if she will need an operation.
Daniela’s daughter, Cristina, says that her mother was on the pedestrian crossing when she was knocked down by a young man on a scooter. “She couldn’t react, she didn’t see him.” Cristina is outraged by his recklessness and by the fact that he has seemingly shown no interest in how her mother is. “We don’t ask for much more.”
Witnesses say that the scooter rider was aged around 25 and that he kept repeating to the police that he had stopped. Given witness statements and reports, the matter is likely to end up in court.
Cristina, meanwhile, believes that “politicians have to be aware of what is happening and take some kind of action”. “It’s not right that these vehicles circulate in the same places where people walk.”
Actress Lisa Banes dies after being hit by scooter in Manhattan
ABC 7 June 15th, 2021
NYC, USA
Originally posted at: https://abc7ny.com/lisa-banes-gone-girl-nyc-dies-after-scooter-accident/10791816/ UPPER WEST SIDE, Manhattan (WABC) — Actress Lisa Banes, known for her supporting roles in “Gone Girl” and “Cocktail,” has died after being struck by a scooter on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
She was 65.
“I am brokenhearted to share that Lisa, my beautiful wife and my love, passed away last night,” wife Kathryn Kranhold said. “Lisa has remained unconscious since being the victim of a hit and run near Lincoln Center on June 4th. She suffered a traumatic brain injury. Lisa’s brother, Evan Sinclair, and sister-in-law, Hallie Atkinson, and I were by her side for the last 10 days, as well as some dear and loving friends. We appreciate the love, support and prayers from all of you across the country. Lisa was listening. We want to express our everlasting gratitude to the medical staff at Mount Sinai Morningside for their expertise and empathy. We look forward to celebrating Lisa, her life and work, in New York City in the fall.”
Banes was hit by a scooter around 7:30 p.m. on June 4 at the intersection of Amsterdam Avenue and West 64th Street.
The actress was crossing Amsterdam Avenue on the way to visit the Juilliard School, her alma mater, publicist David Williams said.
The driver of the scooter fled from the scene, and so far, there have been no arrests.
Williams said Banes was taken to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital, where she eventually succumbed to her injuries.
“We are heartsick over Lisa’s tragic and senseless passing,” Williams said. “She was a woman of great spirit, kindness and generosity and dedicated to her work, whether on stage or in front of a camera and even more so to her wife, family and friends. We were blessed to have had her in our lives.”
Banes appeared in numerous television shows and movies, including “Gone Girl” with Ben Affleck in 2014 and “Cocktail” with Tom Cruise in 1988.
On television, she’s had roles on “Nashville,” “Madam Secretary,” “Masters of Sex” and “NCIS.”
Russian ballet dancer from Saint Petersburg’s famous Mariinsky Theatre in coma after falling from electric scooter at high speed
RT May 18th, 2021
Saint Petersburg, Russia
Originally posted at: https://www.rt.com/russia/524105-mariinsky-theater-soloist-electric-scooter-incident/
A soloist from Saint Petersburgs prestigious Mariinsky Theatre has been placed in a coma after crashing an electric scooter and falling hard on the pavement. He is now in critical condition, after suffering from cranial trauma.
David Zaleyev has been dancing at the Mariinsky since 2013, and has won multiple awards for his solo performances. According to the theatres press service, which spoke to local news outlet 78.ru, Zaleyev is currently in hospital, having undergone a cranial trepanation following a brain hemorrhage.
Videos of the incident published online show Zaleyev attempting to weave his way through a group of pedestrians. He appears to clip one of the men on the sidewalk, causing him to take a tumble and smash his head on the ground. According to newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda St. Petersburg, citing a source, the ballet dancer may have been intoxicated.
The man was found in a severe state of acute alcohol poisoning, the source said. It was impossible to question him he had a closed cranial trauma and concussion of the brain.
In recent years, electric scooter-sharing services have been popping up all around Russia. In Saint Petersburg, the Whoosh and Molnia apps have become popular as a convenient way to get around town.
E-scooter drivers endanger other road users significantly more than cyclists
Spiegel January 7th, 2021
Germany
Originally posted at: https://www.spiegel.de/auto/e-scooter-2020-sieben-tote-und-hunderte-schwerverletzte-bei-unfaellen-von-januar-bis-september-a-49161708-627c-4c63-9b95-b055552c261e
Seven people were killed in accidents with e-scooters in the first nine months of last year. 269 drivers of the batteries-powered scooters were seriously injured, 1096 suffered minor injuries, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
In total, the police registered 1570 accidents with the smallest electric vehicles from January to September, in which there were deaths or injuries. Siegfried Brockmann, head of accident research at insurers (UDV), warns one value is alarming: “In 21 percent of e-scooter accidents with personal injury, the accident is not the driver, but another road user.” In the case of bicycle accidents, this value is only five percent, the accident researcher explains to SPIEGEL.
Scooter drivers often use the sidewalk
This is mainly due to the fact that scooter drivers often lead irregularly on the footpath. “One of our studies shows that in almost 60 percent of cases, people drive on the footpath, although you would actually have to use the road or the bike path,” says Brockmann.
However, many drivers apparently are not even aware of this violation. According to a survey, 25 percent of drivers think they are allowed to drive on footpath, complains the accident researcher. He is therefore in favor of a Europe-wide information campaign to sensitize drivers in this country, but also tourists.
However, the frequency of accidents can only be compared to a limited extent with that of other means of transport. “Unfortunately, there is no movement data for the e-scooters,” explains Brockmann. You don’t know at the moment how high the mileage of the scooters is – this is crucial for comparisons. “I therefore expect the providers to disclose this data,” says Brockmann.
2020 difficult to compare year
At the same time, 2020 is an atypical year, explains the accident researcher. Due to the corona pandemic, the providers have meanwhile restricted or completely suspended their operations. In addition, a large part of the tourists who otherwise often use the scooters fell away. In addition, the electric standing scooters are a comparatively new phenomenon.
The scooter accidents have only been collected separately since the beginning of 2020. The e-scooters have been approved for road traffic in Germany since June 2019. The number of e-scooter accidents with personal injury increased in the spring and summer of last year: 252 were recorded between January and March, between April and June 417. According to the information, the number was highest between July and September with 901 accidents: Four people were killed, 145 seriously injured and 627 slightly injured
He broke his bones, now no one wants to be liable: An e-scooter accident shows dangerous legal gaps
Business Insider November 28th, 2021
Germany
Originally posted at: https://www.businessinsider.de/wirtschaft/mobility/er-brach-sich-die-knochen-jetzt-will-niemand-haften-ein-e-scooter-unfall-zeigt-gefaehrliche-gesetzesluecken-a/ As on any other day, Klaus Bopp set off for work around 8:35 a.m. this Tuesday morning. Bopp is blind from birth, orients himself with a long stick and has been walking this route in Bremen’s Neustadt for 30 years. He knows every millimeter. After about two minutes, it happens: Shortly before a crossroads, the 50-year-old falls over twoe-scooterslying across the sidewalk. He still captures one with the stick, on the second he no longer has a chance. He falls on the right hip and contracts a femoral neck fracture.
“I had such anger, because the things are not standing in the way for the first time without warning,” recalls Bopp in conversation with Business Insider. It was clear to him: There had to be an accident at some point.
The anger will boil up again at Bopp even in the months after the accident. Gradually it turns out: Nobody wants to be responsible for the bone fracture. Neitherthe Swedish rental company Voi, which set up the e-scooters on the morning of the accident, nor Voi’s liability insurance, nor the city of Bremen, which granted an operating license for the scooters. The case is also tricky from a legal point of view, although it is well documented by the police and eyewitnesses. The question of who is to blame for the fall over the overturned e-scooters is completely unresolved and reveals large gaps in regulation in Germany.
Bopp’s lawyer wants to set a precedent
Neither the authorities nor the e-scooter company Voi contact the injured Bopp. At our request, the company says that they are very saddened by this tragic accident. “We are doing our best to find a suitable solution for everyone,” says Stockholm headquarters. However, the solution still does not exist today. Because Bopp cannot believe that his bone fracture should remain without consequences, he turns to the legal advice of the German Blind and Visually Impaired Association. There, the business lawyer Thomas Hiby takes over the case. He now wants to set a precedent and go to court with a claim for damages. According to the pain and suffering allowance table, a sum between 12,000 and 25,000 euros would be common. If Hiby succeeds in this, it would probably have consequences for the entire e-scooter industry in Germany.
The search for the culprit proves difficult. The police, who arrive at the scene of the accident a few minutes after the fall, initially assume property damage. Even in the ambulance, Bopp is questioned as a possible suspect, not as a victim. If you run against it, you are the cause and thus to blame for the accident, writes Bopp in the memory protocol. The accusation is quickly clarified, but further investigations are not carried out. Not even the police could contact Voi “in a reasonable time”, says the police report.
Vois lawyers and insurance companies point to liability gap
Lawyer Hiby also has to wait a few weeks for feedback: The company’s lawyers see “no basis for liability.” They refer to an unknown third party who is said to have knocked over the properly installed scooters. However, the company has no responsibility for this, write Voi’s lawyers.
The DEVK, with which Voi has taken out statutory liability insurance, also follows this line of argument. If the users of the e-scooters have parked them properly, the subsequent behavior of uninvolved third parties cannot be attributed to the owner Voi, says Business Insider. In addition, she explains that it only covers accidents from moving scooters. She wouldn’t step in for a fall over an upright e-scooter either.
A plausible scenario is establishing itself for both the company and insurance – one that relieves all parties involved from responsibility.
No matter how many people stumble over lying e-scooters, according to the law neither the insurance nor the owner of the e-scooters is responsible for this. Lawyer Hiby evaluates the facts differently. Anyone who creates a source of danger must also bear proportionate responsibility.
Eleven days of hospital
For Klaus Bopp, the fall had far-reaching consequences. After the accident, he was in hospital for eleven days, had to undergo surgery. The doctors assume that it will take three to six months for him to return to normal. Today, almost four months after the accident, he still cannot return to work. Since he works in the public sector, his professional association covers the treatment costs. Nevertheless, he suffers financial losses, because instead of full salary he receives sick pay. It is not only the physical and financial consequences that bother him. “I am also concerned psychologically about this. I’m no longer at the same pace as I used to, because I have to reckon with the things everywhere.”
There are almost no parking rules
In Germany, e-scooters are generally allowed to park anywhere on the sidewalk as long as the municipality does not prescribe stricter rules. That’s why the police apparently come to the conclusion in the Klaus Bopp case that the e-scooters were parked in accordance with the law, even though they protruded from the wall of the house across the sidewalk.
The legislator has not formulated clear rules on where e-scooters may be installed, says lawyer Hiby to Business Insider. He sees this as a serious legislative gap.
In many places, this regulatory gap leadsto parking chaos on the sidewalks. Bopp’s hometown Bremen is one of the few cities that has established clear rules of the game. The city has prescribed to Voi that at least 1.50 meters of remaining walkway must remain when parking. If someone complains to the public order office, the e-scooter providers have 24 hours to change the vehicles.
Business model favors wildlife parking
The business model of the e-scooter companies is strongly based on the fact that the scooters can be found wherever possible. “Availability is crucial,” says a spokesman for Voi. In the industry, we speak of the “free floating model”. Every customer can borrow them and park them again where they feel like it.
For Hilke Groenewold, expert for accessibility at the German Blind and Visually Impaired Association, this is precisely the danger, especially for visually impaired and blind people. “Sighted people can also stumble upon it at night,” says Groenewold. The association wants fixed parking spaces, preferably on the street. “If they have to stand on sidewalks, it is only in defined areas that are tactile and visually rich in contrast,” says the expert.However, this is only moderately attractive for e-scooter companies, as this limits availability.
Voipartially outsourcesresponsibility
Voi assured Business Insider that the company takes safety on the sidewalk very seriously. The Swedish company will be represented on German roads in June 2019 with its e-scooter offer. Today, she is active in twelve cities with a five-digit number of scooters. The problem with fleet management: Voi has outsourced control of the scooters to a large extent, as usual in the industry. The company offers the platform, the e-scooters and some local contacts. The actual work on the road, namely collecting, charging and distributing the scooters, is done by subcontractors.
According to Voi, it checks via digital tracking whether the scooters are parked correctly. Local Voi employees would instruct the external service providers and occasionally also check them on the road. They are in close contact with the subcontractors. What doesn’t seem to fit: Voi’s operations manager for Bremen lives and works in Berlin, 400 kilometers away. From lawyer Hiby’s point of view, the company deliberately goes at maximum distance: “Voi operates a purely virtual business from Sweden without tangible liability substrates.”
The current permit for Voi’s 500 e-scooters in Bremen expires at the end of November. The city is negotiating the conditions for next year with Voi these days. It is clear so far that the pavement width will be increased from 1.50 to 1.80 meters and that the company will have to react much faster in the future – probably within six instead of 24 hours – to incorrectly parked e-scooters. The Senate for Home Affairs said that Bremen is pushing e-scooter companies to solid storage spaces for a while longer.
Klaus Bopp, who is still struggling with the consequences of the accident, is still waiting for a personal apology today. He wants the e-scooters to no longer be allowed to stand and lie anywhere. “The project was simply not thought through to the end,” he says. Because he doesn’t want to relive the seconds of the fall. At that moment, I just felt helpless and powerless, because apparently nobody cares that the e-scooters are a traffic obstacle.
E-Scooter riders have little, if any, protection in case of injury or accident
ABC 7 January 4th, 2021
Washington, USA
Originally posted at: https://wjla.com/features/i-team/e-scooter-riders-have-no-liability-insurance-protection-from-scooter-companies If you haven’t ridden an e-scooter, chances are you’ve dodged one coming at you on the sidewalk or skirted one laying in the street.
The obvious hazards are well-documented, but we discovered one that could impact you even if you never step foot on an e-scooter.
All of a sudden somebody in front of me jumps and screams ‘Whoa!’ and the scooter is, like, coming right at me, said Jill Jefferson, whose life profoundly changed while walking down a D.C. sidewalk on her way to a meeting.
A woman on an e-scooter hit Jefferson with such force she flew into the air.
I just thought, ‘Don’t let my head hit, don’t let my head hit first, don’t let my head hit first, said Jefferson.
The full weight of Jeffersons body dropped to the concrete, leaving her with a broken back and traumatic brain injury.
Eighteen months later, the former government consultant is still recovering.
Its hard for me to bend down, or getting right and left mixed up, said Jefferson. I can’t read easily. I mean, I can read words, but my eyes get blurry or I can’t understand stuff.
What happened to Jill Jefferson is not a one-off.
Rutgers University found facial and head injuries from e-scooters have tripled in the past decade.
The Henry Ford Health System reports that of the 92,353 scooter injuries treated in emergency rooms, nearly 28% were head and neck injuries.
And recently the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that most injuries happen on sidewalks.
While you may not be surprised by the accidents or even the injuries, given that there are no uniform laws about helmets or where e-scooters can operate, chances are you have no idea how unprotected you are if you are injured by, or on, an e-scooter.
There’s no insurance to cover them, said personal injury attorneyAllan M. Siegel. Certainly no insurance provided by the e-scooter company.
He says it boils down to this: If you stumble over an e-scooter on the sidewalk and get hurt, are hit by one, or are hurt yourself on one, unless you can prove the scooter company was negligent, you would have no insurance protection through the scooter company.
And if you’re riding and hurt someone else, it’s unlikely your personal insurance would cover any of it, leaving all costs coming out of your pocket.
Siegel says all automobile ride shares must carry liability insurance in case the driver injures someone, and e-scooters some of which can reach 30 miles per hour should be no different.
I think it is the responsibility of the e-scooter companies if they want to operate in the city, said Siegel. I think the council should make laws that say if you want operate in our cities you’re going to have liability coverage.
Recently, the D.C. city council passed a bill that provides scooter users the same protection as cyclists, pedestrians, and other vulnerable users. A notion that was originally opposed by The Trial Lawyers of Washington, D.C. because the District had not defined or limited the way e-scooters could be used on DC streets and sidewalks.
In late October, however, the D.C. Council approved legislation for additional regulation of e-scooters that includes more rules for their use in the city and a requirement that they can be locked to racks or poles. That move gained the Council the support of the Association to classify e-scooter riders among vulnerable users. The chair of the Trial Lawyers Association of DC recently explained vulnerable users in an op-ed you can viewhere.
In mid-December D.C.’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee met and Jill Jefferson testified about her ordeal. Jefferson says the committee is considering additional protections for pedestrians in the case of being struck by an e-scooter.
Because Jill Jefferson was injured while walking to a work meeting, some of her medical bills were paid through worker’s comp. But the larger issues of regulating where e-scooters can operate and making sure the companies provide insurance to riders and those injured by them, is something she says she’ll fight for until it happens.
“Municipalities have the responsibility for protecting the health and safety and the general welfare of the public,” said Jefferson. “And that means to be able to walk freely in our nations capital without fear of getting mowed down by a random e-scooter.
Theres a significant variation in state laws when it comes to e-scooters, including where they can be ridden. For example, Fairfax, Virginia allows the use of e-scooters on sidewalks but they cannot be operated above 10 miles per hour. In Arlington, Virginia, if a protected bike lane is available, the e-scooter cannot be used on the sidewalk. D.C. considers e-scooters personal mobility devices and therefore not subject to helmet laws, while other jurisdictions regulate them like bicycles.
In Maryland, e-scooters are not regulated by the state. Certain localities, including Baltimore City, have rules and restrictions for e-scooter companies. A 2019 law passed by Marylands General Assembly makes e-scooters subject to the same rules of the road as bicycles.
We reached out to six major e-scooter operators, all operating in the DMV, to talk to about these issues. Only one responded but did so only on the condition that we not name their company or attribute any information they provided to the company, rendering the information essentially useless.
As for Jefferson, she says she wants to do what she can to prevent another person from being injured. Shes working on putting together an e-scooter safety coalition. She’s already been asked to speak to the Virginia Association of Zoning Officials on the subject. Jefferson never got to speak to the person who hit her. All she knows is that the woman was visiting from another country. She madethis videoin the hopes of reaching the woman and of helping herself heal in all ways. For more information on scooter ordinances you can email:scootersafetycoalition@gmail.com
Bronx man dies after falling off e-scooter hitting head on ground
New York Post November 18th, 2021
New York City, USA
Originally posted at: https://nypost.com/2021/11/18/nyc-man-marvin-campbell-dies-after-falling-off-e-scooter-hitting-head-on-ground/ A Bronx man died after losing control of his electric scooter last month and slamming his head on the ground, cops said.
Marvin Campbell, 45, was riding aCycleboard Rover Scooteron Bronx Park East near Waring Avenue in Allerton on the evening of Oct. 27 when he fell off, according to police.
The Wakefield man was taken to Jacobi Hospital where he died last week, according to the NYPD.
Campbell was not wearing a helmet, cops said.
Helmets are not required for e-scooter riders 18 and older, but are highly recommended,according to the citys Department of Transportation.
Man seriously hurt in Clifton e-scooter crash
BBC News November 23rd, 2021
Nottingham, UK
Originally posted at: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-59379996
A man has been seriously hurt in a crash involving a vehicle and an e-scooter, police have said.
The man was taken to hospital following the collision at about 14:00 GMT on the A453 in Clifton, Nottingham.
The road was closed in both directions between Farnborough Road and Sunninghill Drive. One lane inbound has now reopened.
Nottinghamshire Police said officers remain at the scene as inquiries into the crash continue.
All outbound lanes are expected to remain closed for some time, the force added.
Motorists have been warned to expect delays and advised to use alternative routes.
Case investigator Sophie Law added: “We would like to thank people for their patience while we have the road closed.”
Anyone with any information or dashcam footage has been urged to come forward.
Moment passengers evacuated as e-scooter explodes at London Tube station
Metro November 5th, 2021
London, UK
Originally posted at: https://metro.co.uk/2021/11/05/moment-passengers-evacuated-as-e-scooter-explodes-at-parsons-green-15551238/ Passengers fled as smoke billowed down the platform at Parsons Green station on Monday evening after the lithium battery in the scooter exploded.
The incident happened in the front carriage of a District Line train at around 8pm. The flaming scooter was dragged onto the platform as it continued to burn.
In footage of the drama, people evacuating the train can be heard coughing and spluttering on the platform.
The e-scooter fire is the second of its kind reported in the capital in less than a month.
On October 26, firefighters were called to Stanmore station after the lithium battery of an e-scooter being held in lost property burst into flames.
E-scooters are currently allowed to be carried on the tube network but following the recent fires union bosses are calling for them to be banned.
TSSA organising director Lorraine Ward told theEvening Standard:Without doubt the incident at Parsons Green raises very serious concerns.
Its becoming all too clear that e-scooters pose a significant threat to the travelling public, our members and all workers at TfL.
There should be an immediate halt to transporting them on all TfL services until more research into these batteries has been carried out.
Im therefore urging TfL to fully enforce the already existing ban on the use of e-scooters.
Indeed, a further ban across the wider travel network should be considered by the Secretary of State for Transport.
Calling for an investigation into what caused the fires at Parsons Green and Stanmore, Ms Ward said: Safety on our transport network will always be our unions number one priority, there can be no compromises on that.
A TfL spokesperson said: We completely understand how worrying it was for our customers and staff when an e-scooter caught alight on a train.
Emergency services attended Parsons Green station and the e-scooter was removed at the first opportunity.
While incidents like this are very rare, we take safety on the network extremely seriously and are undertaking a full review, which includes liaising with the London Fire Brigade.
It is forbidden to ride e-scooters at stations or on trains, and failure to comply with this by-law is a criminal offence.
E-scooters may currently be carried but must be folded for the entirety of the journey.
Oxford e-scooter crash involving pushchair leaves man and child injured
Oxfordshire Live November 22nd, 2021
Oxfordshire, UK
Originally posted at: https://www.oxfordshirelive.co.uk/news/oxfordshire-news/oxford-e-scooter-crash-involving-6241178 An e-scooter has collided with a pedestrian and a pushchair on a foot path in Oxford.
The e-scooter’s riderfailed to stopafter hitting the pedestrian, a man in his forties and the pushchair, that a child was sat in.
Theincidenttook place on the foot path next toBrookfield Crescent, with the pedestrian and child heading towards Headley Way.
Read more:British Transport Police investigate Oxfordshire train station upskirting incident
Thames Valley Police is now appealing to any witnesses to the collision – which took place between 8.30am and 8.40am on Sunday, November 21.
Both the man and the child suffered minor injuries, but did not require hospital treatment.
The person riding the e-scooter is described as a young male, aged in his early to late teens, wearing dark clothing. He was riding an orange VOI e-scooter.
Currently, a council trial involving VOI e-scooters is running in Oxford for 14 months, although it’s not clear if the one used in the crash was a rented one or privately owned.
Investigating officer, PC Ruan Brink, based at Abingdon police station, said: I am appealing for witnesses to this incident to please come forward.
Id also ask any motorists who have dash-cams and were in the local area around the time that this happened to please check any footage in case it may have captured something that could assist the investigation.
Anyone with information can contact police by calling 101 or making a report online, quoting reference 43210526639.
Alternatively, if you wish to remain anonymous, you can make a report to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their website.
Dental injuries on the rise thanks to e-scooter use: study by U of A prof
Global News September 22, 2021
Calgary
Originally posted at:https://globalnews.ca/news/7351143/dental-injuries-e-scooter-e-bike-alberta-study/
After running a study on the frequency and severity of dental and maxillofacial injuries associated with electric-powered bikes and scooters, a University of Alberta professor wants to see more education and possibly even more enforcement and legislation.
Dr. Liran Levin, a professor of periodontology at the School of Dentistry, and the president-elect of the International Association of Dental Traumatology, led a study. It was based on e-scooter- and e-bike-related injuries in Israel between 2014 and 2019.
Out of 3,686 hospital admissions from electric bikes and scooter injuries, 378 (10.3 per cent) were specific to oral and maxillofacial injuries.
That should be alarming. Its a constant rise, a constant increase in the numbers . . . Were talking about not just simple injuries even if you need a few stitches, you wont be included in this study unless you were admitted to the hospital and stayed there for more than 24 hours.
We saw that about 10 per cent of those injuries are involving the oral cavity . . . either the soft tissue or teeth or the jaw or bones that are in the oral area, Levin said.
While similar data on this topic is not available in Canada, Levin said parallels can be drawn and municipalities can take a proactive approach to education and prevention.
I think that [Israel] started a little earlier with the use of it so I think we can look at that as a forecast of what were going to experience, Levin said.
I think the main message is to be proactive and start with education and maybe better enforcement of prevention methods like helmets, maybe even mouth guards. It seems like a very simple and innocent tool everyone can take it and have fun but its not as innocent as it looks.
Another important finding? E-bike and e-scooter injuries were being reported in both riders and pedestrians.
Most of the pedestrians were either kids below the age of 15 or elderly, which probably means theyre more prone to be hurt in a more severe way and thus require hospitalization, Levin said.
He also compared the injury rate of e-bikes and e-scooters to that of traditional bicycles.
We see a lot more injuries in electronic bikes and scooters than were seeing in regular bicycles.
The majority of those, surprisingly, do not involve other vehicles; its mainly the scooters with pedestrians or with something in the surroundings . . . There were still accidents with cars but lets say about 60 per cent of them were without the involvement of another vehicle.
Dr. Eddy Lang, an associate professor at the University of Calgarys Cumming School of Medicine, spoke with Global News in August 2019 about the number of hospital visits connected to e-scooters.
For a study, his team combed through the electronic health record used in Calgary to see when the word scooter was used by patients as they described to how they were injured.
By August 2019, some 60 patients had visited Calgary emergency rooms with e-scooter-related injuries. Of those, most were fractures but some were head injuries.
Lang said, because of riders precarious vertical position, people are falling off of these and as a result, were seeing mostly upper extremity injuries people are hurting their wrists and elbows.
The maximum speed for the vehicles is 20 km/h and its illegal to use them while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.