Katherine Wong/Staff Writer
You’ve seen them everywhere: electric scooters. More specifically to FIU: Bird scooters. The electric scooter company recently set up shop at the Modesto Maidique Campus, and the campus has become littered with them, making it a less walkable school.
While other methods of transport like skateboards and bicycles are a prominent part of FIU, the new addition of scooters has proven to be chaotic. Bird scooters in particular can reach up to 15 mph, and the risk of accidents are bound to increase.
While scooters have the potential to benefit those commuting to and from class, more often than not, people do not adhere to safety regulations. With MMC having such narrow footpaths and heavy foot traffic, the chances of having a scooter crash into you are high, and has happened time and time again.
With traveling on a vehicle that fast, for instance, it’s recommended to wear a helmet; in most cases, people don’t.
But with that being said, even those who do adhere to safety regulations can get into accidents.
Take it from me, a former electric scooter owner. Initially, it was of great aid to me. I didn’t drive, and I needed transport to get to and from school and work. After several months of use, the scooter malfunctioned while I was using it. On electric scooters, you have to squeeze the handle to stop the motor—and when it failed to do so, I was launched off the scooter into a ditch.
Luckily, since I was wearing my helmet, I sustained minimal injuries and a pair of broken glasses. If it weren’t for my helmet, I would have been dead, as I landed head-first.
While my case isn’t extreme, some cases can lead to broken limbs or even death. 11 deaths have been reported due to electric scooters, nine of which occurred on rental scooters. The lack of awareness on the danger of these vehicles has gotten to the point where there are personal injury lawyers specializing in electric scooter injuries.
With a non-motorized scooter, the worst thing that could probably happen to you—if you stay safe—is falling off and scraping your knee, or hitting your ankle turning it around, compared to potentially fatal injuries on an electric scooter.
FIU has great potential to become a thriving business opportunity for rental scooter companies like Bird. However, there needs to be some initiative on behalf of Bird and FIU to educate riders on the safety and responsibility of using them around campus.
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The opinions presented within this page do not represent the views of PantherNOW Editorial Board. These views are separate from editorials and reflect individual perspectives of contributing writers and/or members of the University community.
Featured photo from Wikicommons.
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