E-scooter safety studies and a user trial study

E-scooters (electric scooters) are becoming more popular around the world, as people seek alternatives to travelling by car to reduce carbon emissions, have better mobility around congested cities and save money. Several e-scooter rental trials are currently running in some areas in the UK. Despite the benefits the use of e-scooters brings, there were 3 fatalities and 931 casualties in accidents involving e-scooters in the UK in 2021. Hence the safety issues becomes increasingly significant.

The small footprint of the e-scooter can make the rider feel uncomfortable when sharing the roadway with cars, however, in a similar way to e-scooter riders feeling disproportionately vulnerable on roads compared to cars. Safety issues include e-scooter riders’ erratic and unpredictable behaviour when switching from one travel mode to another.

Extensive literature review of this study also reveals that the environmental impact of escooters is still subject to debate with most e-scooter trips replacing walking rather than polluting vehicles.

A trial where 22 participants evaluated their e-scooter interaction has favourable results with participants rating the e-scooter highly for safety in general, with some contrasting feedback suggesting potential concerns from users.