AUSTIN, Texas — It’s been a busy start to May for first responders in Austin-Travis County when dealing with motorized scooter crashes.
Since May 1, Austin-Travis County EMS has responded to four different scooter collisions involving five patients in total. One of those people died, according to data provided to KVUE.
In late April, another person died in a crash involving a scooter and a car.
The City of Austin Transportation Department allows 13,600 scooters in the Capital City. Four different companies operate here, including Bird and Lime.
Data provided by the City indicates there were an average of 7,853 daily scooter trips in the first three months of 2021. The median trip duration is only about eight minutes.
As the temperatures heat up and people rely on other ways of getting around, here is a reminder of some of the laws for riding a motorized scooter:
- Obey the same laws as drivers
- Use the bike lane when available; otherwise, only use the sidewalk in a “reasonable and prudent manner”
- Wear a helmet if 17 or younger
These are some of the recommended safety guidelines:
- Ride with traffic, not against it
- Use hand signals to tell drivers or pedestrians what you intend to do on the road
- Don’t ride side-by-side
A 2019 study by Austin Public Health found that 48% of the 190 injured scooter riders hurt their head with a fracture, laceration or abrasion during a three-month period when epidemiologists reviewed scooter-related injuries. Fifteen percent had traumatic brain injuries and only one of the 190 injured riders was wearing a helmet.
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