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New York City is set to join several other major U.S. cities in embracing electric scooter rentals.
In June 2019, lawmakers reached a deal allowing electric scooter companies to operate within the city — with the exception of Manhattan, which lawmakers deemed too congested to allow scooters to operate safely. Electric scooter companies like Bird and Lime have spent years lobbying New York City officials to bring scooters to the Big Apple.
Many people see the agreement as a win, but safety experts say electric scooters have resulted in serious injuries around the country. According to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of serious electric scooter injuries is on the rise. While many people look forward to electric scooters being allowed within the city, it’s important to be aware of being injured in an NYC electric scooter accident.
How Dangerous Are Electric Scooters?
In recent years, electric scooter rental services have exploded in popularity. The small, lightweight vehicles are particularly popular in large, urban areas with a lot of tourist destinations.
When electric scooters are available, visitors don’t have to worry about renting a car or relying on a cab or Uber driver to get them around town. With an electric scooter, they can quickly and easily get from one place to another — all while enjoying the scenery around them.
Understandably, many people enjoy hopping on an electric scooter instead of being stuck in a car. However, this convenience and excitement can often come at a steep price.
According to a recent CDC study conducted in association with the Public Health and Transportation departments in Austin, Texas, researchers looked at the number of electric scooter injuries that occurred between September and November of 2018.
In just a three-month period, there were 271 people who sustained injuries on an electric scooter, with half of the injury victims suffering a serious head injury. When researchers totaled up the number of miles traveled by people riding electric scooters, they found there were 20 people injured for every 100,000 miles on an electric scooter.
Among the 50 percent of injury victims who sustained a head injury, 15 percent suffered a traumatic brain injury. According to the CDC, many of the injuries could have been prevented if the riders had been wearing helmets.
According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials, electric scooters are incredibly popular. In 2018 alone, riders took 38.5 million scooter trips in the United States.
While wearing a helmet could reduce the number of serious injuries, safety experts say many scooter rental companies advertise their product as something to be done on a whim. Because the companies market most aggressively toward tourists and students, it’s unlikely their target demographic will have a helmet with them when they decide to rent a scooter on the spur of the moment.
Types of Electric Scooter Injuries
In addition to traumatic brain injuries, people hurt on electric scooters have suffered broken bones, nerve and tendon damage, severe bleeding, and organ damage. Among those injured, 84 percent broke a bone and 45 percent sustained damage to a nerve, ligament, or tendon.
Lawmakers in various cities have also expressed concerns about people on electric scooters injuring pedestrians or bicyclists. In fact, 55 percent of the people injured in the CDC study were hurt in the street, and 33 percent suffered their injuries on the sidewalk. In 10 percent of cases, a scooter rider struck a vehicle.
Perhaps most disturbing, the CDC study revealed that one-third of people involved in electric scooter accidents admitted they consumed alcohol in the 12 hours prior to their accident. The study also showed that most scooter accidents occurred during the day, with 20 percent happening during morning or evening rush hour and 22 percent occurring during the normal work day.
Speed was also a prominent factor in many of the accidents. In the study, 37 percent of people injured said they were traveling too fast at the time of their scooter crash.
In many cases, individuals who suffered an injury due to an electric scooter accident said they received little or no instruction from the scooter rental company.
If a scooter rental company fails to provide adequate instruction and training to people renting a scooter, it’s possible the rental company could be held liable for any injuries that result. Scooter rental companies also have an obligation to ensure the scooters they rent are in good working condition and safe to use.
Talk to a NYC Lawyer About Electric Scooter Injuries
As the city prepares to allow electric scooters onto city streets, it’s important to stay alert as you move about the city. Unfortunately, accidents are bound to happen. If you’re injured by someone operating an electric scooter, or you’re hurt while riding a scooter in the city, it’s important to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case with an experienced transportation injury lawyer at one of the top-rated personal injury law firms in New York.
New York Injury Lawyer Jonathan C. Reiter
T: (212) 736-0979
injuryaccidentnews.jcreiterlaw.com
Sources:
- https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/2/18526813/scooter-electric-injury-austin-cdc-study-head-helmet
- https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a27372767/electric-scooters-mobility-safety/
- https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/19/nyregion/scooters-nyc.html
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