Dóra Björt Guðjónsdóttir, Pirate Party representative in the Reykjavík Planning and Transportation Council, suggests that if electric scooters are to be banned on weekends, then banning cars would be more suitable, reports Frettablaðið.
Most electric scooter accidents occur on weekends
A new traffic safety report for the City of Reykjavík and Vegagerðin was recently developed explaining that banning electric scooters on the weekend to minimize accidents would be nearly impossible. Studies from Sweden and the United States found that most accidents occur on Fridays and Saturdays. Additionally, the report notes that drugs and alcohol are often involved.
Eliminating cars on weekends
The report explains that the most serious and dangerous incidents are collisions with cars. Dóra Björt explains, “If we look at the number of individuals who die or are seriously injured in traffic accidents, unprotected pedestrians, i.e. pedestrians and cyclists, are almost half of those injured or dead. Therefore, it is really straightforward to ask oneself whether it is not more appropriate to take the car out of this equation if, on the other hand, it is going to ban some mode of transport.”
Calls for improved infrastructure
Dóra Björt believes that electric scooters are a great, environmentally friendly mode of transportation. However, their infrastructure in the city needs to be improved to accommodate their rise in popularity. She explains that “statistics from Oslo show that most accidents were due to unsuitable surfaces. Therefore, the best way to prevent electric scooter accidents seems to be to provide better infrastructure for bicycle traffic.”
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