E-scooter regulations 'pretty vague': AA backs push for 10kmh speed limit

Thursday, 15 November 2018

We asked Aucklanders what they thought about the likelihood of Auckland Council reducing Lime e-scooter speeds to 10kmh.

As the regulation of e-scooters comes under the spot light amid concerns about their safety, Brittany Keogh explains the current restrictions and what changes could be made.

Local authorities are divided on whether electric scooter regulations should be urgently changed, as ACC claims for e-scooter related injuries climb.

California-based company Lime launched an electric scooter (e-scooter) rental service in Auckland and Christchurch on October 11. The scooters can travel at speeds of up to 27kmh and have a maximum range of 48km.

Auckland Council wants to reduce the speed limit of e-scooters to 10kmh on the city's footpaths.

Chris Mansfield racing past Tom Hawker on a eScooter at the Ponsonby Road Lime Scooter Grand Prix in Auckland.

* Lime scooter ban suggested during famed Auckland Christmas lights display

* ACC receives 38 electric scooter-related injuries two weeks after share scheme launch

* Lime recalls one of its models amid fears the scooters can break apart**

But Christchurch City Council has no immediate plans to introduce similar restrictions.

David Griffiths, head of planning and strategic transport at Christchurch City Council, said the council planned to wait until after Lime's three month trial ended before it made any more decisions.

A Lime scooter parked up near an Auckland beach.

'We have set up a working group to ensure that safety aspects of the trial are addressed based on evidence. We would note that land transport rules already say that users must not operate the device at a speed that constitutes a hazard.'

Lime scooters have proved a popular way to get to the races in Christchurch.

Support for speed limit reduction grows

AA principal adviser on infrastructure, Barney Irvine, said he supported the move by Auckland Council to reduce the speed limit of e-scooters to 10kmh.

He said current e-scooter regulations were 'pretty vague'.

'You can use them on the footpath, but only 'at a speed that does not put other footpath users at risk'; a helmet is not legally required, but is recommended… The sooner we have clear and unambiguous rules, the better, and we're really happy to see [Auckland] Council taking steps in this direction.

An injured man lying on the ground after crashing his Lime E-Scooter in the rain. Cathedral Square, Christchurch.

'We'd also question why helmets are mandatory on bikes, but not on e-scooters, and why they're not allowed in cycle lanes.'

A number of Aucklanders had raised concerns about e-scooter safety with the AA, Irvine said.

Three weeks after Lime e-scooters hit Auckland footpaths, Auckland Council had received seven complaints or queries from members of the public about e-scooter safety.

Andy Foster, president of lobby group Trafinz, said regulations had not kept up with changes in technology.

How restrictions could be enforced

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said police could handle the enforcement of the 10kmh e-scooter speed limit.

Senior sergeant Todd Moore-Carter said police relied on Land Transport 1998 and the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 for enforcing road safety measures.

'There are a number of existing offence options available in regards to the inappropriate use of electronic scooters which includes offences related to speed and the use of footpaths.'

E-scooter rental companies need a licence from the council to trade on public property.

Foster said councils could pass a by-law to ban e-scooters from footpaths or include a clause in contracts with rental companies stating they had to reduce the maximum speed of e-scooters to 10kmh.

Irvine acknowledged e-scooter regulations would be difficult to enforce. He said Auckland Council should look to how rules were enforced in other cities where e-scooters were popular.

E-scooter restrictions around the world

E-scooter regulations vary internationally.

In Singapore, e-scooter models must be approved by the Land Transport Authority and have a maximum speed of 25kmh. Anyone caught using a non-approved e-scooter can by fined up to $5000 or jailed for up to three months.

In South Australia, recreational motorised devices - including e-scooters - can only be used on private property.

The UK's driving authority doesn't allow for e-scooters to be ridden on roads or footpaths. Residents caught using them can be fined up to £75.

Last month, a 15-year-old boy appeared in court in north-east England for riding an e-scooter at 'high speeds'. Despite being too young to have a driver's licence the teen received six demerit points. They will be enforced against his licence when he gets one.

French regulations state e-scooters can be ridden in bike lanes at speeds of up to 25kmh.

E-scooters are permitted on footpaths, roads and in cycle lanes in California, but riders must be aged 16 or older.

Auckland Council was aware of at least two deaths overseas involving e-scooters. One person was hit by a car and another suffered fatal head injuries.

E-scooter related injuries skyrocket - and ACC issues warnings

The number of e-scooter related ACC claims has increased dramatically since Lime launched.

Between October 11 and November 14, ACC received 141 claims for injuries involving e-scooters. The majority of incidents - 85 - happened in Auckland, 50 took place in Christchurch and six elsewhere in the country.

Soft tissue injuries were most common, with 58 claims being made, followed by lacerations (49 claims) and fractures or dislocations (24 claims). Concussions or brain injuries were rare, fewer than four ACC claims for these types of injuries had been made.

For the whole of last year, ACC received 34 claims for injuries related to e-scooters. In 2016 there were 22 claims of this type, up from 12 in 2015 and in 2014 ACC received just six claims related to e-scooters.

ACC did not have figures on the total cost of claims or projections on how speed restrictions would affect injury rates.

'Our focus is on encouraging people to use e-scooters sensibly. Wearing a helmet, limiting speed, keeping to road rules are standard mechanism for keeping safe but we acknowledge the challenge from a safety perspective with e-scooters is how people use them: mostly for short incidental trips rather than a planned scooter ride they'd have prepared for,' said ACC senior injury prevention specialist Kirsten Malpas.

ACC recommended new riders test out e-scooters slowly on quiet roads and know the symptoms of a concussion in case they had a knock to the head.