,
9 tweets,
3 min read
Read on Twitter
Thread: An argument I've been hearing about the high U.S. scooter fatality rate (2X as many deaths as U.S. bike-share in 1/10 the time) is "Scooters aren't the problem, cars & car-centric streets are." I think that's half right. Our car-centric system IS dangerous for everyone.
Obviously, to reduce overall traffic fatality and injury rates, we need to encourage alternatives to driving, and better enforce laws against reckless, intoxicated, and distracted driving. That's a lot of what I advocate for on Streetsblog.
And a big potential positive about scooters is that they appeal to people who aren't interested in biking. They don't want to exercise or risk getting sweaty while commuting. By attracting these people, scooters can help build political support for more protected car-free lanes.
BUT, I'd also argue that typical e-scooters as they currently exist are an inherently unsafe mode. They have a high center of gravity that makes it easy to go over the handlebars, small wheels that easily get caught in potholes, a narrow profile that's hard for motorists to see.
Moreover, as @StreetsblogUSA reported, a recent federal study of scooter injuries in Austin, TX, found that cars were involved in the crashes in less than 1/6 of the cases. Scooter design / bad pavement / rider's action were to blame. usa.streetsblog.org/2019/05/03/we-… 
We can address the inherent safety issue with typical standing scooters via design: maybe moving to seated scooters / mopeds with bigger wheels, more lights, etc. Better pavement and more education of riders can help to.
But in the meantime, it seems a little wrongheaded to put the blame for scooter dangers solely on car-centric streets. Current scooter service is not really designed / planned to optimize safety.
I mean, if somebody rolled out a new shared-mobility scheme that involved cruising down streets at 15 mph while lying flat on your belly on a big e-skateboard, could we really blame drivers, car-centric street design if there was a high fatality rate?
Here's the Austin injury study referenced above. austintexas.gov/sites/default/… @DanielKayHertz
