Is it safe to ride a Scooter in Austin?
Electric scooters have become increasingly popular in the downtown Austin area , but the rise of this dockless form of transportation has led to serious safety concerns. Even though city officials have made it clear that it’s illegal to ride these scooters on most trials and through parks, individuals can ride these powered scooters in most vehicle and bike lanes. It’s also legal to ride electric scooters on the sidewalk in many parts of Austin, which has made many citizens concerned about the potential for collisions between pedestrians and scooter riders. In fact, between May 7th and September 6th of 2018, there were 1.5 serious scooter accidents per week in Austin. While none of these accidents resulted in fatalities, scooter injuries are becoming disturbingly common in the downtown Austin area. Rules of the Road Practically overnight, hundreds of scooters appeared on the streets of Austin. Most of these scooters were deployed before the city could run its own pilot progra