Analysis of Current E-Scooter Safety Regulation in a Large U.S. City Using Epidemiological Components as a Framework

Abstract

E-scooters have been promoted as a solution to environmental and last-mile issues. However, physicians have reported an unusual increase in injured e-scooter riders, calling it an “epidemic.” An epidemiological investigation of e-scooter safety carried out in 2018 characterized injuries associated with e-scooter riders in Austin, TX for a period of 87 days. However, the effectiveness of the city’s current regulation on micromobility devices has not been discussed to determine whether it addresses the risk factors identified in this epidemiological investigation. To address this gap, this paper presents an analysis of the legal framework on micromobility devices from the components of the epidemiology triangle (agent, host, and environment) used by traffic authorities in the 1960s to curtail motor vehicle crashes. This analysis revealed that the current micromobility regulation does not offer practical provisions to tackle safety concerns efficiently. Furthermore, based on the number of motor vehicle crashes reported in Austin for 2018, it was found that if e-scooter riders were to travel the same distance in miles as motor vehicle drivers, there would be approximately 3,700,000 injuries compared with 15,133 motor vehicles injuries. Furthermore, this hypothetical figure does not consider the potential underreporting of e-scooter crashes, meaning that the number of injured people per 100,000 mi traveled on e-scooters could be even higher. At least 108 more injured riders were identified than was initially calculated in the 2018 epidemiological investigation. Overall, this study should encourage local authorities around the world to enact appropriate regulations to tackle safety issues surrounding micromobility devices.