Less than a year after becoming legal on the streets of Atlanta, electric scooters are already facing tremendous dismay and opposition from citizens and lawmakers.
There are currently between 15 and 20,000 scooters offered by 8 major e-scooter companies in and around Greater Atlanta. Especially in areas near universities and up and coming neighborhoodsScooters are seen by the younger population as a convenient and environmentally friendly means of transportation. They’re great for walking to the store, driving through a park, or going to school on site. If you run into fast or heavy traffic situations, the chance is that one accident Events are increasing significantly.
The basics of scooter riding and safety
An electric scooter (also known as a Dockless Mobility Device) is a Wheeled vehicle with a step-through frame for a single person. The driver must stand on the step frame for the duration of the journey. These work exclusively with electric batteries and are therefore very economical. E-scooters differ from motorized scooters without seats and mobility scooters with three or four wheels.
A January 2019 allow The method issued by the Georgia state government allows e-scooters to be used in most parts of the city at 15 mph and is subject to laws pretty similar to those for motorcycles and bicycles.
Common e-scooter accidents
As with most two-wheelers, e-scooters come with many risks when sharing roads pedestrian as well as automobiles and other heavy vehicles. Due to the novelty of the vehicles, most of the people on the road are not used to appreciating the speed, distance, and size of e-scooters, which makes them a very risky vehicleide. For a new one Studying Rutgers UniversityThe number of incidents rose from 2,325 in 2008 to 6,957 in 2018. The most common accidents involving e-scooters are:
- Rear collisions – A scooter traveling at or below the set speed limit is of course slow for cars that share the road. Since e-scooters have just hit the streets, very few drivers are used to seeing scooters and finding their way around them. Therefore, the scooters are more likely to have a rear-end collision with a passing vehicle.
- Distracted drivers – Often, young drivers try to multitask which leads to distracted driving which can lead to them losing their balance and colliding with other vehicles on the road.
- Loss of control – E-scooters are light, have small tires and a fragile frame. Your center of gravity depends entirely on the driver’s ability to compensate. Therefore, any sudden shift in balance, poor maneuver, or evasive action to avoid a pothole can result in a fall or collision.
- Door slams – E-scooters often navigate in small spaces between vehicles on the street, their small frame being an advantage. Because of this, there is a risk of collision with opening doors of cars parked on the streets.
- Side wipes – E-scooters that drive between lanes with slowed-down or stationary traffic are exposed to the risk of a collision with vehicles that change lanes at high speeds.
People who plan to use e-scooters should familiarize themselves with common e-scooter injuries. In states like Georgia, which follow the modified comparative error system, your compensation in the event of an accident is only a percentage of your innocence.
Here are some basic tips that can help you avoid serious accidents while using e-scooters
- Stay on roads that allow e-scooters and have designated cycle paths
- Avoid roads where speed limits are way beyond the limits of e-scooters
- Avoid Lane division or drive too close to parked cars
- Avoid driving on wet roads or roads with potholes, puddles, or uneven surfaces
- Adhere to the minimum age standards recommended by the e-scooter companies
- Always wear helmets
- Whenever possible, plan your route so that you follow well-lit streets and paths
- Don’t assume that cars can see you – anticipate their path and drive with caution
- Wear light-colored clothing for better visibility
- Wear gloves to keep your hands warm and to respond to braking and acceleration
All in all, e-scooters are mobility solutions of the future and, despite their current problems, will become more and more common over time. So it will always come in handy to familiarize yourself with the intricacies of e-scooter accidents and the laws that go with it. You can also turn to an experienced personal injury attorney in case you find yourself in an unfortunate situation.
Lawyer Riah Greathouse has been dealing with personal injury cases for over a decade. He has had considerable success in handling complicated cases with new technologies such as e-scooters. If you are looking to buy an e-scooter accident and want to get further education, get in touch with us today.
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