Each year, dozens of people are injured or even sent to the hospital due to accidents involving e-scooters. As these devices become more popular and appear on more streets across NYC, it’s important that every rider identify the common causes of e-scooter accidents so they can avoid dangerous situations and reduce the risk of being in a crash.
Road Hazards
About 1-in-5 scooter-related injuries occur when riders are in the bike lane. While there are a handful of reasons for these crashes, two stick out above the rest: potholes and dooring. As we discussed previously, dooring is a big problem for NYC bicycle riders, but it’s worse for e-scooter riders as they’re often moving faster, and many don’t wear helmets.
Likewise, it’s no secret that potholes are everywhere in NYC. While they’re less of a problem for large-wheeled vehicles like bicycles and cars, small wheels (particularly those on an e-scooter) are at a greater risk of causing a crash when they hit a pothole, even a small one. This has led some e-scooter riders to drive on the sidewalk, but that poses even greater risks.
Riding on the Sidewalk
Nearly 3-in-5 injured e-scooter riders were driving on the sidewalk when they crashed. Riding on the sidewalk is especially dangerous in areas with high foot traffic (like most of NYC) because e-scooters are heavier than bikes and move faster. That means riders who (often illegally) use the sidewalk swerve around pedestrians, but this behavior puts everyone at risk.
This raises an interesting issue. Many regular e-scooter users say they don’t feel comfortable riding in the streets alongside cars, but more than half of crashes occur on sidewalks due to a variety of reasons, including uneven pavement, collision with a static object, and collision with pedestrians, among others.
DUIs
Driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol is, by far, the top contributing factor to e-scooter-related crashes. One analysis found that 48% of injured e-scooter riders who were tested for alcohol were above the legal limit.
Riding an e-scooter while under the influence of drugs or alcohol could be just as (if not more) dangerous than driving a car while intoxicated. Where cars have safety measures, like seatbelts, e-scooters have effectively no safety features and require a greater degree of dexterity to maintain balance and control the vehicle. If you or a friend ever find yourself too intoxicated to ride a bike or use an e-scooter, it’s always wise to take a cab instead.
If you were hurt in an e-scooter accident, you need representation from a team you can trust. If you’d like an experienced New York City injury accident attorney from Koenigsberg & Associates Law Offices to evaluate your case, don’t hesitate to call us at (718) 690-3132 or send us an email!