Since the program began in 2018, when the city of Los Angeles legalized scooters and made a plan to distribute more, they have been a ubiquitous addition to the city streets. Touted as a boon to lower-income people who would have difficulty purchasing and maintaining cars, the scooters were a popular initiative. They were approved for use on shared roadways, with speeds up to 15 MPH. The city arranged to allow 10,500 scooters to be released by rival companies Bird and Lime. By 2019, there were 30,400 scooters on the road in Los Angeles, a representation of 8 brands now on the scene. So, it has obviously been a very popular offering, and a successful addition to the transportation scene, as far as public interest goes.
The question remains, though, how safe are the scooters? This needs to be asked, both for the scooter drivers themselves and for everyone else on the road. In the first year of operation, there were about 250 emergency room visits made by those who were operating scooters or those injured by them, this is from two UCLA hospitals in Los Angeles and Santa Monica.
These numbers raise two issues; the safety of the operators, and of those around them. For one thing, only about 4% of the scooter operators who ended up in the hospital were wearing helmets. For another thing, 8.4% of all the visitors were pedestrians who were either hit by a scooter or injured themselves tripping over or attempting to move a badly parked scooter.
The basic safety codes involve the 15 mph speed limit for the scooters, bans in certain neighborhoods (such as Beverly Hills for a limited time) and bans from certain roadways- namely those with a speed limit of over 25 mph. However, there are also more subtle laws, such as the fact that you can not leave the bike lane with your scooter, you must now wear a helmet at all times, you can’t have a friend, or anyone, hop on to ride with you and you can’t be found operating the scooter under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This is all regulated with tickets that can range from $150 up to $250.
It turned out, besides the operation, it was the parking that was the big issue for the shared roadways and pedestrian walkways. In fact, specific laws were created to address it. The city was tired of chasing after badly-parked scooters so they shifted the burden onto the companies themselves. Now, any scooter must be removed from an illegal parking space, by its operation company, within two hours during the time from 7am to 10pm.
Just remember, if a scooter locks erratic, give them plenty of room. In addition, you can report badly parked scooters to 311 in LA. But, if the worst happens, remember that it is to be treated the same as a car accident. Contact the authorities and a trusted attorney to make sure you protect yourself and your interests.
blogs
Defensive Driving During a Summer of Distracted Drivers
With warm weather, we’re all trying to relax as best we can, wherever we can. Unfortunately, some people can take this a little too far, and find themselves incredibly distracted when in the driver’s seat. Not only that, but with heat exhaustion a possibility, some drivers could be making even worse decisions. It’s your job […]
Winter Bicycle Riding Tips
With cold winds in your face and slick surfaces to navigate, the winter is not the ideal to ride on your typical bicycle. Many of us use a bike as our regular transportation, and some of us have our bikes tricked out for winter riding, as well. In order to make the most of your […]
Winter Rideshare Safety Tips
Winter driving is no joke in general. Everyone needs to slow down and be sure to take the proper winter driving precautions, but if you drive a rideshare, your point-to-point driving makes you more vulnerable to getting in an accident than if you were simply driving to and from work. Add to this the dangers […]
Stay Safe in Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
In the history of cars, hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles are still essentially brand-new. With new technology comes a new way to look at transportation. This includes an eye toward safety – anything new in automobiles is going to require a new understanding of how they work, what the dangers are, and how to maintain […]
Ridesharing Services May Help Lower Drunk Driving Accidents
Research has been done in Chicago showing a correlation between ridesharing and drunk driving incidents. The study looks at the relationship between rideshare participants on the road and accidents over about a year’s time. It is no secret that drunk driving leads to catastrophic damages and injury on a regular basis in America. If you […]
Purchase or Replace a Lemon Car? Californian Lemon laws Relating to the Decisions
If your vehicle meets the Californian lemon law requirements, you have the right to ask for a car replacement or monetary compensation from the manufacturer. For financial compensation, the manufacturer is required to restore the buyer to their original position. However, if you prefer a car replacement, the manufacturer compensates you with a similar vehicle. […]
Car Specific Repair Issues: When to Invoke California’s Lemon Laws and How RS Laws Can Help
Car specific problems are the leading cause of recalls by most automakers and dealers globally. Last year, for instance, over 20,000 units of Volkswagen Golf MK.8 were recalled because of a software bug. Earlier this year, Volvo stated that they were planning to issue a recall for some of their cars. How do such car […]
Introducing MADD
As it says on their website, “the mission of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking.” And these mothers and their supporters work tirelessly to improve policy and law-making, and they are a force to be reckoned […]
Bicycle Safety in California
In a lot of ways, California is known as the driving capital of America, if not the world. Where else are so many people absolutely defined by their vehicles, their routes to work, and even their carbon footprint for transportation? The state requires some of the most stringent emission requirements across the nation and is […]
Winter Slip and Fall Accident Tips
Whether your winter is cold and snowy or just plain cold, winter is a time when slipand fall accidents are increasingly likely. Cold, wind, ice and snow are problems on their own and when they combine, it’s a perfect storm of injury possibilities. Typically, these conditions result in bruises and bumps, but there’s always the […]
contact form
