![]() ![]() In many cities they aren’t supposed to go very fast, and yet they are permitted on some roadways, competing with cars. Scooters also aren’t suitable for the road. And without mandatory helmet laws for adults riding electric scooters, riders are in even more danger. I can’t imagine many cyclists love their already-congested and often-dangerous bike lanes clogged up by scooters. Because they’re a relatively novel form of transportation, drivers may not be looking for them the way drivers are used to looking for bikes. And people pushing strollers, on crutches or using wheelchairs shouldn’t have their ability to use the sidewalk curtailed by the scooters that riders routinely leave strewn on the sidewalk.īut scooters are also inappropriate for the bike lane - they don’t move like bikes, which, at least anecdotally, makes them difficult to see and navigate around and can be dangerous for scooter drivers, cyclists and people driving cars. Walking down the sidewalk shouldn’t require dodging electric devices going far faster than a person can move on foot - or risking an accident. They go far too fast to be safe on the sidewalk, and in American cities, sidewalks are often already too narrow to accommodate pedestrians, parents with strollers and people who use wheelchairs and other assistive devices. One problem with scooters is that there is no obvious spot for them within urban infrastructure. Paris residents vote in favor of banning rental electric scooters ![]() REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters Other cites require scooter riders to abide by standard traffic laws, but a walk through many scooter-heavy metropolises makes clear that these regulations are often skirted.Ī woman rides an electric scooter by Tier sharing service, on the eve of a public vote on whether or not to ban rental electric scooters in Paris, France, April 1, 2023. But again, enforcement is lax, helmets are not required for adults and it’s pretty rare to see a New York City cop doling out a ticket to a scooter rider. In New York City, there is a scooter speed limit and scooters are supposed to only be in bike lanes and streets. While the city technically banned multiple riders on a single scooter and scooters on sidewalks, it is not unusual in Paris to see snuggling couples on a single scooter, flying down a city sidewalk. In Paris, for example, children as young as 12 could rent them and helmets were not required. When it comes to scooters, there are often not many rules regulating them, and enforcement is spotty. The Paris vote was an overwhelming one, if one with very low turnout - only about 100,000 people voted, but nearly 90% of them cast their ballots in favor of a scooter ban, according to CNBC. In practice, they’re much more of a menace than a convenience. Both riders and pedestrians have been injured and sometimes killed. What cities have gotten instead is chaos: scooters shooting down sidewalks at dangerous speeds or laying abandoned on pedestrian thoroughfares. ![]() Over the past few years, electric scooters have been brought to Paris and dozens of other cities worldwide by various startups promising an environmentally-friendly individual transport option. Jill Filipovic Courtesy of Jill Filipovic ![]()
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