As airbag supplier Autoliv announced the first crash test of an e-scooter airbag to complement its pedestrian protection airbag, which could reduce two-wheeler driver injuries in a collision with a car, UK road safety charity IAM RoadSmart warned mixing e-scooters, vehicles and pedestrians on roads and pavements would be “a dangerous cocktail”.
The charity said a government consultation on legalisation of e-scooters is imminent and warned the rise in use of electric scooters alongside vehicles on roads and pedestrians on pavements was “bad news for road safety”.
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Last March the UK Department for Transport promised a far-reaching regulatory review to clarify the law around the use of e-scooters.
The government said it planned to spend GBP90 million in towns and cities to test transport innovation and the review would explore regulations around new types of vehicles including e-scooters and e-cargo bike trailers.
The government is expected to issue a further consultation and appears to be considering legalising the use of e-scooters on pathways and public roads in an effort to encourage green transport, IAM RoadSmart said in a statement.
It believes e-scooters and their increasing popularity will lead to many people riding them on public roads alongside bigger and faster vehicles and will put individuals, including the scooter users themselves, “in great danger”.
The charity welcomes a long-term approach to transport planning by the government but insists new modes of transport need dedicated routes to be truly safe.
It added that there is “an urgent need for users of e-scooters to embark on some level of basic rider training and awareness before they start”.
Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart director of policy and research, said: “Electric scooters are simply not safe enough to be on our roads alongside full size vehicles.
“Mixing with pedestrians is also potentially very unsafe in shared areas. As with cycling, the answer probably lies in dedicated safe infrastructure for vulnerable road users. Allied to that there is an urgent need for more rider training, information on protective clothing and clarification of e-scooters’ legal status.
“While we welcome innovation, transport changes and trends are happening far faster than the network is developing to accommodate them.
“Another Christmas has come and gone where e-scooters have been bought in large numbers as gifts, and summer beckons, when they will be widely used. With the prospect of even more e-scooters on our roads, so the need for clarity is now even more urgent.”
Autoliv performs first crash test of e-scooter airbag
