Explainer: Where can you ride e-scooters and what are the rules?
Thursday, 25 October 2018
A spate of accidents has prompted council and Government officials to launch a safety review into electric scooters.
After launching a little over a week ago, hundreds of e-scooters have taken over footpaths and roads in Auckland and Christchurch.
Mayor Phil Goff called for an urgent council report to look at the safety concerns surrounding e-scooters in the region after a councillor was almost hit.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford said the Government was also considering a whole range of things as part of the safety review.
**READ MORE:
* Auckland Mayor orders urgent scooter safety probe after councillor almost hit
* E-scooter injury claims and near misses spark safety fears
* Safety concerns raised as electric scooters arrive in New Zealand
* The lowdown on Lime Scooters, New Zealand's newest transport trend**
The safety review would look at what vehicles could use footpaths and the speed limits of those vehicles on footpaths, he said.
He did not want to 'pre-judge' whether e-scooter users should be forced to wear helmets as their appeal was their 'handy flexibility', he said.
'I think we should take a pretty careful approach. I don't want to be seen to be too nanny state or cracking down on something that actually, could be a very appealing and ultra convenient thing for people who live in our cities,' Twyford said.
E-scooters were a new thing in Christchurch and Auckland so it would take time for people to get used to them and learn how to behave in certain ways with them around, he said.
'Councils have the right to make bylaws to regulate these scooters,' Twyford said.
In a statement, New Zealand Lime launcher Hank Rowe said it was committed to working with local authorities to 'tailer Lime's service to the needs of both cities and will be conducting roundtable discussions with NZTA, Auckland Transport and Christchurch City Council (CCC) to prioritise safety'.
It would also be hosting a rider safety summit in the next week to teach users about 'responsible scooter usage', Rowe said.
A CCC spokesperson said the council was 'naturally concerned' about people's safety, but was not intending to conduct a safety review until more data was available nearer to the end of the three month trial.
'It's important to understand the number of reported incidents in the context of volume of trips being taken and to keep in mind that any form of transport comes with a level of risk.'
E-scooters can travel at speeds of up to 27kmh and have a maximum range of 48km, which has raised concerns for Goff, councillor Christine Fletcher and local residents.
So what is the deal with e-scooters and what are the rules?
Who is behind the scooters?
Californian company Lime released 600 electric scooters (e-scooters) in Auckland and 400 in Christchurch, with plans to bring more.
Two other companies, Wave Scooters and Onzo - which runs a bicycle sharing scheme - also have plans to launch 3500 scooters in Auckland.
Lime launcher Cameron Swanson told Stuff the scooter venture had been 'very successful'.
'So far the longest rides have been 19.2 kilometres in Christchurch and 25.1km in Auckland,' Swanson said.
What do you need to ride them?
On its app, users are told the following rules and regulations:
A helmet is required
Do not ride on the sidewalk
Don't ride downhills
Have a valid driver's license
You are 18 years or older
Ride at your own risk
However, these rules are not easily policed as anyone with a smartphone could potentially download the app.
A police spokeswoman said 'with scooters, be considerate of other road or footpath users, don't speed, don't drink and ride, and we would suggest wearing a helmet for your own safety'.
She said since the scooters were under 50cc, riders could not be charged for having excess breath alcohol but there were other potential charges a person on a scooter could face such as endangering or reckless behaviour.
How many reported accidents have there been?
Since its launch, 14 e-scooter related claims were lodged with ACC.
Nine e-scooter related claims were lodged in Auckland and five in Christchurch.
Senior injury prevention Kirsten Malpas said ACC expected most scooter injuries would be sprains and bruises handled by hospital emergency rooms.
More serious injuries such as facial, dental or traumatic brain injuries would need ACC support.
'If people take a knock to the head, it's important that they recognise the symptoms of concussion and let a medical professional make an assessment and diagnosis,' Malpas said.
The safety challenge was that most e-scooter users took short unplanned trips, rather than rides they prepared for, she said.
Auckland Transport (AT) and Auckland Council had access to usage data for any bike or scooter shared service.
'We also require for any incidents causing injury to be recorded as part of the data we have access to,' AT spokeswoman Joanna Glasswell said
Christchurch City Council transport operations manager Steffan Thomas said Lime was collecting data on crashes it was made aware of which would be provided to the council before the end of the three month trial period.
Where can they be ridden?
E-scooters can be used on the footpath or the road, according to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).
The scooters can be used on cycle paths, which are physically separated by a barrier or are off the road altogether but they could not be used in designated cycle lanes.
Designated cycle lanes are painted onto the road surface and have no barrier in between.
A spokeswoman for NZTA said this was because those cycle lanes were 'for the sole use of cyclists'.
If people were to use e-scooters on the road, they were encouraged to ride as far to the left as possible for safety and to leave the main road lane for cars.
Are helmets or safety accessories necessary?
New Zealand Lime launcher Hank Rowe said Lime recommended users wore a helmet.
'The NZTA states we don't require helmets to ride these scooters, however if it's raining or if you do intend on riding on the road for a long period we do recommend wearing a helmet,' Rowe said.
'However for short trips around the city and on footpaths, the safety level is absolutely on par with walking.'