If there is one thing that cannot be blamed on scooter users, it is that they go with the truth first. In a survey carried out by the RACC, three out of four admit to driving on the sidewalk, a prohibited and punishable practice. Perhaps that is why, at the same time, one in five states that they have been fined at some point for breaking traffic regulations.
This 20% of people fined shows that the control of bad practices by the Urban Police has been on the rise. Without going any further, last week 660 complaints were filed against electric scooter drivers in the Catalan capital as part of a specific control device for personal mobility vehicles. It is almost 50% more than the weekly average of the previous year, when just over 400 sanctions were imposed weekly on average, with a total of 21,030 complaints throughout the year.
Police pressure explains that in the first barometer on scooters prepared by the RACC in 2020, only 7% acknowledged having been fined. Three years later, the figure has more than doubled to 20%. Distractions (such as wearing headphones or using a mobile phone), jumping traffic lights and negligent driving behavior are the main reasons for which fines were issued, according to municipal sources.
The third edition of the mobility club’s report delves into this sense and points out that 54% admit to jumping red lights, 42% say they drive in the opposite direction to shorten trips and 40% admit that they drive faster than allowed. However, if the situation is analyzed compared to previous years, the percentage of users who admit to regularly practicing these risky behaviors is decreasing, as well as those who wear a cell phone or headphones have slightly reduced. Despite the capacity for self-criticism and confessing sanctionable attitudes, users of personal mobility vehicles give themselves a grade of 6.9 out of 10 for their civic conduct, an evaluation close to notable that does not fit with the number of non-compliances. recognized, worthy of blatant suspense.
Virtually all of them consider that there is no adequate coexistence between the different means of transport, and they see cars, buses and vans as the main factors that make them feel vulnerable. “Coexistence is the great aspect to improve,” concludes the president of the RACC, Josep Mateu, who regrets the lack of knowledge of the regulations shown by a significant portion of scooter users. For this reason, it is committed to improving training in road safety education and adapting it to the particularities of those newly incorporated into the concrete jungle since 68% have been moving in this way for less than two years and one in four admits not knowing the current regulations. which prevents going on the sidewalk, among other things.
Despite being the newest mobility option, the scooter’s initial emergence times seem to have peaked, and growth is maintained, but in a much more sustained way, going from 119% the previous year to 4%. In fact, it is the first time that in the observations prepared by RACC technicians a drop in the number of scooters passing through some bike lanes has been detected, although it is also true that in others it increases, and the authors of the report attribute this to a simple modification of the routes derived from the construction of new segregated roads. On Diagonal, for example, traffic has decreased, while at the accesses from l’Hospitalet and Esplugues they have increased by more than 20%.
Without establishing a direct relationship with the high levels of non-compliance with regulations, the RACC survey warns that 15% of people who ride scooters have suffered an accident resulting in personal injury. This question is the first time it has been incorporated into a sectoral report from the mobility club, so it cannot be compared with other modes of transport with high accident rates such as motorcyclists. In any case, it is surprising that of those who have had an incident, almost half have been alone. Those that have been with third parties, one in four have been with another scooter.
The study also analyzes the origin of scooter users and those who opt for this means of transport, leaving their car or motorcycle parked, are rather few. 81% come from sustainable modes, especially public transport, especially among those who make metropolitan trips. Those who make shorter journeys – 80% are less than five kilometers – have simply incorporated the scooter into movements that were previously done on foot or by bike.
