Today, electric scooters are found in many Swedish cities, and their availability and low cost are some of the reasons why the products have become so popular.
Several companies that SVT has spoken to can see that the electric scooters are mainly used as a commuting tool in the afternoons.
But they are also used in the evening and at night, and a survey conducted at Sahlgrenska shows that more than half of those who came to the emergency room with injuries connected to electric scooters had drunk alcohol at the time of the accident.
- We note that drunk driving is one of the main risk factors, Kristina Nilsson, press contact at Voi, in an email to SVT Väst.
Whose responsibility?
Joar Bjelkholm is regional manager for central Sweden at Tier Mobility.
He believes that the responsibility for minimizing the risk of serious injuries lies with the company, the municipality and the individual.
- Of course, it is also a responsibility of private individuals to think about their fellow road users, think about themselves and avoid alcohol in traffic, says Joar Bjelkholm.
The companies have various proposals, realized or on the idea table, on how drunk driving with electric scooters can be limited.
Among other things, reaction tests, zones where speed is limited, cooperation with taxi companies and calls in the app are mentioned.
Would it not be possible to completely lock the electric scooters at night?
- There are vulnerable groups, such as women who are on their way home in the evening, who want to use the electric scooters and therefore it is not a good idea, says Joar Bjelkholm.
"Here to stay"
While electric scooters can be a risk factor in traffic, they are also an environmentally friendly alternative for those who commute to and from work.
Joar Bjelkholm believes that this type of micromobility is here to stay.
But he welcomes more regulation of the industry.
- We can limit to walking speed in places in compromise with the municipality and the police, he says.
Madeleine was on her way home from the pub when she fell from her electric scooter and broke her jaw. Hear her tell in the clip.
Direct report · How do you use the electric scooter?
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