Safe or sorry: Electric scooters rise in popularity raising questions about safety – The Western Carolinian

Electric scooters are sparking some interest in Cullowhee. Personal transportation like this is nothing new – bicycles and skateboards have zoomed through campus for decades. Electric scooters aren’t new either, but their popularity is.

The trend began a few years ago with athletes riding electric scooters around campus. For a while, it seemed to be athletes exclusively. Though it didn’t take long for other students, staff and faculty to hop on the trend.

Electric scooters have skyrocketed in popularity in the last few years. Unfortunately, proper safety practices aren’t taken when some riders take to the streets.

“If you’re in the road, the same traffic laws apply to you that apply to everyone else… Stoplights, stop signs, the rest – if you choose to ignore those, you’ll be held accountable,” said UPD Assistant Chief Brian Thomas.

Parking Operations has outlined what is and isn’t allowed. Both UPD and Parking Ops have jurisdiction to enforce the codes.

“I don’t have the resources to chase people around on scooters all day long,” Thomas said. “We’ve already banned skateboards, and you see how effective that is.”

Skateboards were banned in 2011 but have remained a popular mode of transportation since. A scooter ban would likely see similar results.

WCU Parking Regulations Article IX

Scooters and bicycles must:

Safety is, of course, the immediate concern.

It’s important to distinguish their functional differences from traditional forms of personal transportation. The basics create a recipe for problems, small wheels, high center of gravity and easy speed.

Electric scooters have small wheels, usually between six and eight inches in diameter. Solid tires are becoming increasingly common, too. Solid tires are puncture-proof, require little maintenance and can support great weight. They’re often seen in warehouses, airports and other smooth, paved areas.

There’s a reason you don’t see solid tires on cars or bicycles, they’re not meant for roads. Solid tires don’t do much to soak up bumps, perform poorly in wet conditions and offer little lateral grip.

A high center of gravity makes the scooter inherently less stable than traditional means. Stability is further decreased by a shallow angle between the steering axis and front wheel – the angle which keeps bicycles upright – making one handed operation difficult. Scooter riders, like cyclists, are required to indicate by hand signal.

Electric scooters use the same lithium-ion batteries that most devices use, though many videos of scooter fires and explosions have surfaced since their rise in popularity. If left in a walkway or exit, they may pose a fire hazard.

“Storing them is another issue altogether, because they end up in doorways, stairwells and other places,” Thomas said.

The New York Fire Department reported 13 mobility-device fires in New York City in 2019. They reported 130 in 2022.

Despite this, when used properly scooters are a good thing. They allow for easy transportation, require little maintenance, take up little space and are mostly safe.

“It’s easy to get around campus faster, and after practice my legs are always tired so I love being able to just scoot around,” said WCU sprinter Marie Harris. “There are some reckless riders on campus, it just is what it is.”

For the safety of pedestrians and riders themselves, riders should mind parking rules and take special care with road conditions and traffic.

“As long as people are respectful with them, I have no problem,” Thomas said. “Just try to have a little consideration for the people you’re sharing this campus with.”