I hate that cars can go around running over people every single day without making the news, but this e-scooter accident is supposedly worthy of national news.
Every accident is regrettable, but the number of accidents we tolerate from scooters and bikes can’t be zero. Micro mobility is still MUCH safer than cars. I bet if the e-scooter driver was killed by an unnecessarily big truck on the road, it would still be called an “e-scooter accident” if it even made the news at all.
Generally, people ride on sidewalks because the alternatives on the road are even more dangerous. I hope Olivia Chow really improves Toronto’s bike/mobility lane network with something more than just a painted gutter lane.
Micro mobility isn’t the problem, it’s the future of sustainable person transportation. The problem is that we’re not updating our infrastructure.
They’re on the sidewalk because they’ll be killed in the car lanes, and those are the only options. We need better bike (and by extension micro mobility) infrastructure. And not just random lanes that don’t go anywhere, we need a whole network. Cars get it, so why shouldn’t a safer, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly solution?
The regulation that the city needs is that whenever roads are rebuilt they should prioritize transport options as follows: wheelchairs/pedestrians > bicycles > e-scooters/e-bikes > transit > compact cars > pedestrian mutilators (a.k.a. pickup trucks and SUVs). It is preposterous that some residential roads today don’t even have sidewalks.
They should also eliminate right turns on red, which are as hostile to pedestrians and bicycles as it gets.
You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve personally almost been run over while on bike because of that, but even worse, when crossing the street the after the light turns green. Most drivers don’t look the way they’re going, and instead solely pay attention to the colour of the pretty lights overhead like three month olds.
Pedestrians/wheelchairs should ALWAYS be separated from vehicles (and that’s including bikes) with physical barriers, and bikes separated from cars with physical barriers anywhere the speed limit’s greater than 20km/h. And speed limits shouldn’t be enforced with simply signs, but actually physical barriers that prevent speeding, like regular turns or speed bumps.
Drivers are so entitled in this country that they complain about being ticketed by the police when they’re the ones knowingly breaking the laws. Laws that exist because people kill each other due to carelessness if it wasn’t for these laws! And people DO kill each other constantly despite these laws! I mean, if most statistics didn’t lump in cars together with all other accidents, cars alone would be the 11th leading cause of death in the States!
E-scooters should be on the sidewalk unless there’s a properly bike/scooter lane for them
Better the sidewalk than the road, cars are way more dangerous than scooters
So long as they aren’t going full speed while on sidewalks and they’re adjusting their speed according to the number of pedestrians, I fully agree. Sometimes you have to go at a walking pace on a crowded sidewalk, and if it’s an empty suburban sidewalk with clear visibility, I see no problem at all.
If there are pedestrians around, they should be walking. Pedestrians don’t have anywhere else to go.
Should you have to walk your scooter on an otherwise empty strip mall sidewalk whenever there is even a single pedestrian in eye sight? I think it’s fine to walk the scooter before crossing paths and then get back on.
I used to rollerblade on the sidewalk. That was until an old lady beckoned me over and said “if you hit me, you’ll break my hip, and I’ll die.”
If e-scooters are on the sidewalk to be safe, where do the pedestrians go to be safe?
The danger difference between scooters and cars is massive. It’s on the scooter driver to be cognisant of their surroundings and the people they could hurt, just like cars
But my coworker got hit by a car while using his scooter on the road 3 days ago. Cars are just way more dangerous to scooters than scooters are to pedestrians
There’s still added danger. Crossing a street is hostile enough, but at least the sidewalk is predictable. When I’m behind a row or parked cars, everyone is moving at the same speed and it’s fine. Throw motorized vehicles onto the sidewalk and now it’s even more hostile.
Let pedestrians have some space.
Fighting over the 10% of the ROW that is sidewalk while letting the other 90% get occupied by the leading preventable cause of death of children is ridiculous.
If something is already banned, more rules isn’t the solution, better enforcement is the next step.
