Safe in 60: Love Electric Scooters? Please Ride Responsibly

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — If you frequent downtown Salt Lake City, you’ve likely seen electric scooters. They are growing in popularity, and are quickly expanding to other communities around the state.

They are fun to ride, but can cause safety hazards if you don’t ride responsibly.

The most common issue we see in Salt Lake City is people who ride the scooters at high speeds on sidewalks. They are electric, making they virtually silent so pedestrians don’t hear them coming.

Salt Lake City is still working on a safety ordinance – that should be in place this fall. Until then, we need to work together to use them is the safest way possible. The Salt Lake City Transportation Division asks riders to follow these guidelines to ride safely and courteously:

• If there is a bike lane available – use it. Scooters provide similar speeds and similar vulnerabilities as bikes, so behave like a cyclist as much as possible.
• Always wear a helmet when you ride.
• Don’t ride on the sidewalk, especially downtown. The exception would be on a busy street with no bike lane. In that case, ride slowly (no more than 5 mph) and be respectful of pedestrians.
• Take extra care at intersections and crosswalks, obey all street signs and watch out for cars and people on foot.
• When you end your ride, park the scooter out of the public walkway. Don’t block the sidewalk, ADA ramps, bus stops or building entrances.

Three scooter companies currently operate in Salt Lake City: Lime, Bird and Spin. We could see as many as 1,500 scooters across the city this summer, as each company is allowed 500 scooters within city limits.

 

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