The e-scooter represents a type of micromobility with an increased sense of freedom and time savings in everyday life. To achieve goals of sustainable development, we need more knowledge about the e-scooters’ effect on public health, the environment and traffic safety. During the summer of 2019, we conducted a pilot study on e-scooters among 431 people through roadside interviews and a survey in downtown Oslo. The results show that the e-scooters replace walking and public transport. Furthermore, the analysis showed that one in ten of the e-scooterists have had an accident. One in five have experienced a near-miss the last time they scooted. Nevertheless, a large majority feel safe in traffic. One in four pedestrians and cyclists feel unsafe when interacting with e-scooterists. The parked e-scooters are particularly challenging. The future challenges of e-scooters will be to organize and regulate use and parking to improve interaction with other road users. (Author/publisher)
Abstract