People in major cities across California – such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, and San Francisco – are turning to a new solution to get from Point A to Point B quickly and inexpensively: rentable electric scooters from Bird. The company charges minimal amounts for people to use their personal scooters, drive them wherever they want to go, and leave them at the destination for the company to pick-up. The convenience of Bird Scooters is obvious, but the potential dangers of the concept are a little more subtle.
HOW TO REGULATE BIRD SCOOTERS
Regulators are having a difficult time deciding what to do about Bird Scooters. The unique idea could feasibly lead to unique hazards.
The personal electric rides can coast at speeds around 15 miles per hour and are encouraged to be used on sidewalks. The likelihood of a pedestrian accident is inherently high. At that speed, both the rider and the pedestrian could suffer serious injuries, like bone breaks or brain injuries, especially if the person struck is young or elderly.
WHO IS ALLOWED TO USE THE SCOOTERS?
Another concern is who is actually operating Bird Scooters. Anyone with a driver’s license and a credit card can rent one of the scooters. There is no guarantee the renter has any idea how to ride an electric scooter safely, and there is no training course offered by the company. Inexperienced scooter riders put the people around them in danger, but they also unfairly jeopardize their own health by being allowed to use a product that should require instruction.
Due to these potential hazards related to Bird Scooter use, San Francisco has already taken steps to ban them from the city. It is not known at this time if other cities will follow suit.
For more information about Bird Scooters and regulator concerns, you can click here to view a full article posted recently by KTLA5. If you have been hurt by an electric scooter rider, or if you were hurt while riding a rentable electric scooter, contact Omega Law Group Injury & Accident Attorneys . Our California personal injury attorneys are currently hearing and looking into Bird Scooter accident claims.
