While electric scooter companies such as Lime and Bird have spread in popularity across the country, Pennsylvania has remained firm in its resolve to keep them away and keep the number of electric scooters on the road to a minimum. In fact, Pennsylvania has restrictive laws when it comes to the use of electric scooters, mainly because of the number of accidents and resulting injuries that are involved with this mode of transportation. For a person to be able to legally operate a motorized scooter, electric or otherwise, it must be titled and registered with the commonwealth. It must also be properly insured. In order to be titled and registered, the scooter must comply with Pennsylvania’s equipment and inspection requirements for motor-driven cycles.
Many, if not most, motorized scooters lack the equipment necessary to pass inspections. There is usually missing equipment that is required for a successful inspection, such as fenders, lights, and turn signals. Even motorized scooters that are able to successfully gain registration with the commonwealth and are properly insured may not be able to keep up with the flow of traffic due to reduced speed capabilities. The laws of Pennsylvania effectively ban the majority of electric scooter use. Regardless of this, however, many people continue to operate scooters on the sidewalks and roadways of cities like Philadelphia.
Common Causes of Electric Motor Scooter Accidents
The innovative, environmentally friendly motorized scooter encourages people to use them as a means of transportation despite the restrictive laws concerning them in Pennsylvania. There is, however, a reason Pennsylvania has fought the use of electric scooters, and this is due in large part to the fact that scooters are so prone to accidents. Complaints from cities across the country have flooded the news about electric scooters. People discard them in the middle of sidewalks, causing people to trip. The careless use of them also tends to increase the rate of defective motorized scooters causing accidents.
Another common cause of electric scooter accidents is the fact that many places lack dedicated spaces for them to ride in. While usually not permitted to ride on sidewalks or bike lanes, electric scooters are forced into the roads where they cannot keep up with traffic many times and have limited visibility due to being much smaller than cars and trucks. This poses dangers to everyone, especially electric scooter riders, on the road.
Distracted driving is also a common cause of electric scooter accidents. In fact, everyone is at heightened risks when people operate any vehicle type while distracted. Taking your eyes or attention off of the road means you can quickly overlook the fact that a scooter or another vehicle is in that lane you are switching into or that the vehicle in front of you has stopped.
The sometimes careless behaviors of electric scooter operators also commonly contribute to accidents. The fun and free nature of electric scooters can often give people the wrong idea. Safety precautions can and should be followed. Rules of the road must be followed. Like any other motorized transportation, you should not operate the scooter while intoxicated. There should only be one person riding on it at a time. Wear a helmet. Ride with the flow of traffic. Treat the rules of operation of an electric motor scooter like you would any other vehicle. Otherwise, accidents can and will happen, often resulting in significant injuries.
Philadelphia Personal Injury Attorneys
If you or someone you know has been involved in an electric scooter accident, reach out to the dedicated personal injury attorneys at Cooper Schall & Levy. We are committed to pursuing all avenues of recovery on your behalf. Contact us today.
