Interviews with ER physicians in seven US cities reveal a spike in severe injuries due to electric scooters; Bird, Lime, and Spin say apps contain safety info
They have been pouring into emergency rooms around the nation all summer, their bodies bearing a blend of injuries … Tweets: @dannyspewak , @safeselfdrive , @jwangark , @triketora , @fordvox , @teddyamen , @abhabhattarai , @moore_oliver , @expolineledger , and @varun_mathur . Thanks: @varun_mathur Tweets: Danny Spewak / @dannyspewak : ER doctors in seven cities have reported a spike in accidents related to electric scooters, according to @washingtonpost. We haven't been able to get any accident data from Twin Cities hospitals yet, but it's clearly a nationwide issue: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... Autonomous Law / @safeselfdrive : Let's talk about scooter design & safety. 1/ Tweetstorm brewing ... http://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... James Wang / @jwangark : Move fast and break things. http://twitter.com/... Tracy Chou / @triketora : the devices may look like toys but inflict the same degree of harm as any other motorized vehicle on the road, only without having to comply with safety regulations http://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... Ford Vox / @fordvox : “a former Bird mechanic in Santa Monica who plans to sue the company, says mechanics are pressured to repair at least three scooters a night or risk being fired, even when spare parts from China are in short supply” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... Teddy Amenabar / @teddyamen : Bird is telling people to wear helmets while riding scooters. Bird is also backing a bill in California that would make it so riders don't need to wear one. https://wapo.st/2wPWSy0 Abha Bhattarai / @abhabhattarai : “The 57-year-old [former scooter mechanic] says she fell off a scooter with defective brakes, sustaining a severe head injury, a broken clavicle and $15,000 worth of medical bills.” by @peterjholley https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... Oliver Moore / @moore_oliver : Guy riding Bird scooter in LA claims accelerator stuck and he was launched over bars and badly hurt. Adding insult to injury, he claims company charged him for the time “he lay on the street, bloodied and unconscious” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... Expo Line Ledger / @expolineledger : “Once injured, many riders might discover from the vehicles' user agreements that they cannot file lawsuits because of clauses requiring that disputes be resolved by arbitration.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... Varun / @varun_mathur : Tip @Techmeme This is baffling: “Bird is also lobbying against legislation in California that would require users to wear helmets” “Santa Monica ER: 18 patients seriously injured in electric-scooter accidents during the final two weeks of July” https://www.washingtonpost.com/ ... Thanks: @varun_mathur