Scooters in Helsinki: Dangerous because of drunk drivers

The car-driving officials of the Ministry of Transport can't solve the dilemma created by electric scooters - how to promote the micromobility of society without compromising traffic safety. But this is also a problem in other metropolises. Helsinki has implemented strict restrictions on the use of electric scooters in the evening and on weekends.

Similar to Riga, the electric scooters joined Helsinki traffic in 2019 and with each season occupies more and more space on sidewalks and streets. The problem is that users of electric scooters generally do not know traffic rules, behave irresponsibly in traffic, drive however they feel like, drop them wherever they happen to stop, and at night use rental scooters as a way to drive after drinking. Together with the rider, it weighs about 120 kilograms and moves five times faster than a pedestrian. That is quite dangerous.

Situation in Helsinki

Helsinki Times reports a significant increase in the number of accidents and injuries caused by collisions or falls from electric scooters, using data from the Emergency medical care and Central Hospital. This summer there were about 200 accidents. The sharp rise began in May. Accidents involving electric scooters have common features, namely that they occur mostly on weekend nights and the victims are usually severely intoxicated. In response to the deteriorating road safety situation, the city administration has imposed a ban on the use of electric scooters at night on weekends. It will be in place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from midnight to five in the morning. Who has to go to work or has any other business may do so sober and drive during the rest of the day. But also on the condition that you have to drive slower now. The maximum speed of scooters in Helsinki is reduced from 25 to 20 kilometers per hour during the day and to 15 kilometers per hour at night. At the same time, the municipality will now study whether and how the new restrictions will affect traffic safety. This is not the best time for such a study, because autumn has arrived, the holiday and party season is over, and scooters are no longer used so often and so irresponsibly. However, by next season, the most balanced solution for promoting micromobility without compromising road safety must be found.

Situation in Riga

Exactly the same problem must be solved for Riga. In addition, in our capital, controlling electric scooters is an even greater challenge due to infrastructure. The streets of the city are narrow. Scooters on sidewalks bother and endanger pedestrians. On the other hand, on a more global scale, it is good for people to drive something small without an exhaust system, as this means less congestion and less smoke in the city. Over the past two years, the issue of electric scooters has been discussed several times in the Road Traffic Safety Council. The regulatory enactments have been amended at least to such an extent that an electric scooter is equated to a bicycle rather than a recreational tool. So, it's a full-fledged vehicle. It also entails administrative liability for non-compliance with traffic rules and drunk driving. During the season, there have also been various explanatory campaigns to inform drivers about the new procedure, about the rules that must now be followed. That pedestrians always have the right of way, that two people should not ride on the same scooter, that speed must be safe. Unfortunately, statistics show that the measures taken and the restrictions imposed have not yielded great returns and the situation is even worse than in Helsinki. We have seen a sharp increase in accidents this season, twice as many as in Helsinki. Of course, it can be assumed that without the campaigns and changes to regulations, the situation would have been even worse. At the same time, the number of rental scooters has also increased statistically significantly, and rental offices insist that the statistics have even improved in proportion to the number of riders.

The number of victims has grown rapidly

Juris Jančevskis, a representative of the State Police, described the situation in figures at the Road Traffic Safety Council. In the eight months of this year, 139 road traffic accidents were registered, last year only 44. This year, 11 victims were seriously injured. However, it should be emphasized here that the police are mostly not called to the scene of an accident, and objective statistics are created by including those victims who turn directly to a medical institution after an accident. And here the figure is significantly higher. Last year it was 121 victims, but this year - 449 victims by the end of August. In addition, the way the injury was acquired is not always accurately recorded in medical institutions. Traumatologist orthopedist Modris Ciems admits that the real increase in accidents related to electric scooters is even greater. The types of injuries people suffer are due to the fact that this vehicle has a short wheelbase, a high center of gravity and small wheels, so it is unstable and difficult to stop. At the smallest obstacle, the rider flies over the handlebar and lands painfully. 40% are head injuries, 30% fractures, 30% soft tissue damage. Similar to elsewhere in the world. According to the doctor, at least minors should be required to wear a helmet. The speed must also be reduced. The Riga Municipal Police urges to do this first in city parks, where hurried drivers pose a special threat to pedestrians - to 15 kilometers per hour, but in the entire historic center - to 20 kilometers. At least scooter rentals can remotely restrict it in certain areas. Here, however, an important remark from the police - at present, no liability for speeding is provided for electric scooters, so is also impossible to control. This is a legal loophole.

The flying carpet is also approaching

At present, there will be no rapid changes in legislation, the transport civil services will gather suggestions, try to improve the quality of statistics and then discuss how to help micromobility find its rightful place in the overall urban environment. And it's not just for electric scooters, because other ideas of one-person vehicles are on the horizon. Already long electric skateboards and one wheel scooters drive on sidewalks and bike lanes. Also, these tools are not used for sports and leisure but to move in the city from point A to point B - so for business purposes. And the president of the Latvian Automotive Club, Juris Zvirbulis, half-joking, half-seriously warns that flying carpets are no longer science fiction and

a moment will come when such a drone-powered aerial vehicle will fly around the streets of Riga, 50 centimeters above the ground.

Therefore, it is time to somehow define all the vehicles involved in traffic, and it is also clear that all these vehicles need their own micromobility lane. Until such a thing is implemented, there will be collisions and injuries for both pedestrians and micro-drivers.

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