I launched this website in response to the growing dangers of electric scooters for pedestrians, drivers, and communities., and after my wife and I were almost hit several times by e-scooter riders as we walked on sidewalks. Check out this story in The Washington Post about this urgent public safety issue: Death of Sidewalks.

• I am now also working closely with another like-minded advocacy group on this urgent public safety issue, Take Back Our Sidewalks.  On March 22, citing the potential of e-scooters to spread COVID-19 among Washington DC residents and injure pedestrians and riders, we urged DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to immediately and temporarily ban the use and storage of more than 5,200 e-scooters from all streets, sidewalks, and storage facilities in the nation’s capital until the worsening public health emergency is over.
• The DC City Council held a hearing on Nov. 4, 2019 about the future of e-scooters in the nation’s capital. See the story that aired on NBC4 at This link..
• The number of e-scooters in Washington DC could skyrocket to 10,000. See the story at Ready for 10,000 E-Scooters?

Online Petition

To support tougher safety laws for e-scooter riders, sign the online petition at Tougher safety laws for e-scooter riders in Washington DC.

Reality Check

If you don’t think e-scooters can be dangerous to your safety, or that they are not creating problems for our communities, then read the 100+ stories that I’ve posted on the In The News page on this site. You’ll learns that:

• People have been killed and injured by careless e-scooter riders.

• Studies show how dangerous the scooters are even for riders.

• Eyesores are being created in our communities and even in a national park by people who abandon their scooters.
• Cities around the country are seeking to ban e-scooters from their streets or sidewalks.

Other countries are taking action against e-scooters as well — France will ban all electric scooters from sidewalks starting this September and impose fines on people who violate the prohibition.

In Washington DC, the City Council is considering legislation to increase the speed limit for e-scooters to 15 MPH. That’s exactly what we do not need — faster reckless riders.

Too Many Near Misses

I started this site because of the many bad experiences I and my neighbors In Washington DC have had with the growing number of reckless and careless users of this increasingly popular form of transportation. Last night I saw an e-scooter rider talking on his cell phone as he whizzed through an intersection, oblivious to his surroundings. He obviously has a death wish!

To those electric scooter riders who are careful, responsible, and safety-minded, I thank you.

One Public Safety Issue Leads To Another

Ironically, I became aware of this growing public safety issue as I was looking into another safety issue—the failure of Washington Gas Light to provide full daily public disclosure about the number, nature, danger, and repair of thousands of natural gas leaks. See GeorgetownGasLeaks.com.

As I’ve walked around my neighborhood with my dog checking up on gas leaks and repairs, I lost count of the number of times we’ve almost been hit by e-scooter riders who refused to slow down, change their path, or stop at intersections. Electric scooter riders are playing Russian Roulette with their lives and the safety of pedestrians and automobile drivers alike.

Worse At Night

Walking at night is even worse. Most of the scooters do not have lights and the riders do not wear or do anything that enable pedestrians to see them or get out of the way. This is the worst combination of Russian Roulette, Blind Man’s Bluff, and Pin the Tail on the Donkey.

I’ve taken to carrying a flash light when I walk my dog in the evening in the hope that those who insist on riding recklessly might at least see that they are about to crash into someone. It has not worked. We were almost hit by a scooter whose rider did not — or could not — see a flashlight-carrying pedestrian.

I and others have seen e-scooter riders who do not wear helmets, ignore traffic laws, and ride scooters at night without headlights or any protective reflective clothing.

There is no doubt about it: The growing number of careless and reckless e-scooter riders is creating new dangers for pedestrians, automobile drives, and entire communities.

Suggested Reforms

If e-scooter riders will not do the right thing, then they should be penalized for their transgressions. There should be consequences for e-scooter companies who do not remove hazardously abandoned e-scooters in a timely manner.

E-Scooter Ban

• E-scooters should be banned from all sidewalks.

Penalties

• Stiff fines for riders who do not wear helmets or who use cellphones or wear headphones while riding.
• Impose a $100 fine on every rider who leaves their e-scooter in an unsafe place on sidewalks or streets.
• If e-scooter companies fail to remove abandoned e-scooters in a timely manner, the DC Department of Transportation should have the authority to reduce, at their discretion, the number of e-scooters that those companies are allowed to have in Washington DC.

Incentives

• People should be rewarded for reporting the location of hazardously abandoned e-scooters.
• Individuals would receive $50 for every reported and verified transgression. The bounty would be paid by the company that owns the e-scooter.

I encourage other cities across the country to adopt similar penalties and incentives.

These reforms would certainly get the attention of those who pose unacceptable dangers to the public.

Updates

I will update this site with news and information about this important public safety issue. We cannot allow the reckless behavior of a growing number of e-scooter riders to continue.

Edward Segal

March 22, 2020