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A Cheat Sheet to the “Chicago Tonight” Dockless Electric Scooter Safety Discussion

Scooters seem to have a poor safety record so far, but if managed properly they could offer some perks for Chicagoans.
A Cheat Sheet to the “Chicago Tonight” Dockless Electric Scooter Safety Discussion
Riding a scooter in the WTTW parking lot. Image: Chicago Tonight

I had a good time discussing dockless electric scooter safety issues in advance of Chicago’s June 15 pilot launch on WTTW’s current affairs show “Chicago Tonight” with host Phil Ponce for a segment that aired last night. In case you’re short on time, here’s a list of the topics we covered.

00:00: Where the pilot will take place

00:35: What is a dockless electric scooter

01:35: What’s it like riding a dockless scooter, and why does it appeal to some people?

02:15: One-third of all injuries to scooter users take place during first rides on a scooter

02:30: Do I feel safe riding an e-scooter?

02:50: How do they handle potholes?

03:05: Recent safety study done in Austin, Texas

03:35: Comparing recent scooter fatalities to bike-share deaths

04:00: Why is bike-share so much safer than scooters?

04:35: Will Chicago have a helmet requirement for scooters?

05:25: How do you park dockless scooters?

05:55: The scooter vandalism issue

06:25: Scooters can replace car trips and serve as a link to transit

07:00: Scooters can help raise political support for more protected car-free lanes

Watch the “Chicago Tonight” segment here. 

Photo of John Greenfield
In addition to editing Streetsblog Chicago, John has written about transportation and more for many other local and national publications. A Chicagoan since 1989, he enjoys exploring the city and region on foot, bike, bus, and train.

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