Deaths in US put escooters in spotlight Radio New Zealand

There are calls to re-observe the protection of electrical scooters, following every other demise and a series of excessive injuries within the United States.

Irish trade pupil Mark Sands, 21, died after a collision with an Uber vehicle in Texas, inside the early hours of Friday.

A look at through watchdog Consumer Reports cautioned this month there had been at least 1545 scooter-related accidents within the US considering that2019.

It said cities and scooters groups needed to "enhance safety".

Mr Sands had been driving a Lime scooter.

The electric-scooter-condo organisation said: "We have been devastated to study of this tragic demise here in Austin and our mind are with the victim's circle of relatives and pals in the course of this extremely hard time.

"We had been in touch with local authorities and will keep to assist but possible."

"At Lime, the safety of our riders and the network is our number one priority.

"That's why each day we are innovating on technology, infrastructure and training to set the same old for micromobility safety."

Lime advised BBC News it turned into worried in several protection projects, together with:

the launch of a Lime Gen 3 with stronger protection features, along with upgraded wheels, higher suspension, extra braking and stepped forward balance
investing extra than $3m (£2.3m) in a campaign to educate riders approximately safety
distributing 250,000 unfastened helmets to riders around the world

Other riders to have died in e-scooter injuries include:

Carlos Sanchez-Martin, 20, in Washington DC
Jacoby Stonekin, 24, in Dallas

For its observe, Consumer Reports collated records from 11 hospitals in 47 towns wherein scooter groups perform.

Doctors told the researchers that that they had seen more than one concussions, nasal fractures and broken limbs because of scooter injuries.

William Wallace, a senior coverage analyst at Consumer Reports, stated within the write-up of the examine: "Right now, a stunning number of e-scooter customers have become severely harm, along with with head accidents.

"Consumers, scooter companies, cities, helmet-makers, and protection regulators should paintings together now to enhance the protection of these merchandise."

A separated examine posted with the aid of the University of California in January discovered 249 sufferers had obtained treatment for scooter-associated accidents among September2019 and August2019 in two Los Angeles accident emergency departments, including two with excessive head injuries who had to be installed in depth care units.

E-scooters were flooding into US cities considering that2019, with businesses Lime, Bird and Uber all offering the motors, which may be hired through a telephone app.

Bird's director of protection, Paul Steely White, stated: "The variety of injuries... Amount to much less than a fragment of one% of the whole range of e-scooter rides taken global.

"Car crashes kill more than 1,000,000 people every year. And for all people motors kill on impact, many greater lives can be reduce brief due in part to their devastating impact on our weather."

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