And both micromobility providers and manufacturers are feeling the pain.
To many, escooters seem like the vital cog in last-mile mobility solutions in urban areas.
Theyre highly accessible, environmentally friendly, affordable, and theres plenty of variety to choose from.
Just this morning, I counted four different brands blocking the sidewalk in my street.
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It followed an accident where a pedestrian washit and killedby an e-scooter.
Nordic countries have also struggled with escooter deaths and injuries throughout 2021.
As a result, many cities reduced the number of escooters available on the streets.
In Sweden, one cyclistdiedafter crashing into an e-scooter parked across a cycle path.
This included nine fatal and 91 serious injuries (including 31 head injuries).
Its unclear how many of these were hire escooters vs. illegal escooters.
Thats going to mess up a lot of peoples Christmas presents this year who were planning to go offroad.
Yet riding an escooter is hugely different from a moped or bicycle, especially in steering and balance.
Thats hardly an endorsement for repeat business.
This makes it challenging for escooter companies to plan and market mass country campaigns effectively.
Did bike riding ever receive the same level of policing as escooters?
Its hard to compare like with like.
Visibility means easy prey for members of the public who might traditionally overlook a tipped-over bicycle.
It shows that safety and accessibility remain a pain point for cities struggling to develop a solution.
How much responsibility can micromobility companies take for fuckwits?
To be clear, I dont blame the escooter companies themselves, especially in terms of micromobility hires.
These companies workreallyhard to build relationships within cities with town planners, safety advocates, and disability groups.
The software can slow down and stop rides autonomously and alert riders to rule violations.
Theres also the ability to generate collision reports in the event of a crash.
Sensors and load-bearing, perhaps?
I think it will be a bumpy ride for escooter and micromobility companies in 2022.
Ive interviewed a bunch to get their take stay tuned to read all about it.
Story byCate Lawrence
Cate Lawrence is an Australian tech journo living in Berlin.
