E-scooters have become a preferred mode of micromobility in many cities around the world, but this can come at the cost of pedestrian safety. A recent study by Paudel et al. (2023) offers insights into the dynamics of e-scooter-pedestrian collisions. It highlights several key findings that road safety engineers and policymakers should be thinking about:
𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹: The study highlights that e-scooter speeds above 10-15 km/h are especially dangerous. The likelihood of severe head injuries to pedestrians increases sharply within this range. This reinforces the importance of speed management.
𝗘-𝗦𝗰𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝘀. 𝗕𝗶𝗰𝘆𝗰𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: E-scooter collisions are significantly more likely to result in severe head injuries compared to bicycle collisions at the same speeds. For example, at 15 km/h, the probability of a severe head injury in an e-scooter collision rises to 91%, compared to 74% for bicycles.
𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Interestingly, factors like the e-scooter’s weight and the direction of impact had less influence on injury severity, suggesting speed is the dominant factor.
————–
Follow Safe System Solutions Pty Ltd for more Safe System Snippets
#SafeSystemSnippet #TrafficSafety #SafeSystem #RoadSafety