Safety precautions in the scooters are insufficient!

Stating that the increasing traffic every day causes the use of scooters to become widespread rapidly, experts point out that scooters, which have become widespread especially in big cities, can lead to traffic accidents that may result in serious injuries and deaths if the right precautions are not taken.

Expressing that 2,446 scooter users lost their lives and 2,050 users were injured in 2,050 traffic collisions involving scooters in 2023 according to unofficial figures, Road and Traffic Safety Consultant Özgür Şener stated that "The use of these vehicles without protective equipment should definitely be prevented."

Üsküdar University Occupational Health and Safety Department Instructor and Road and Traffic Safety Consultant Özgür Şener made important warnings about the increasing use of scooters in big cities in recent years.

Increased scooter use and traffic safety issues

Road and Traffic Safety Consultant Özgür Şener stated that scooters are increasingly preferred in big cities and expressed that "Our aim is to ensure that measures are taken to ensure the safe use of scooters. Scooters and motorcycles are preferred as a fast and easy transportation solution, especially in our big cities such as İstanbul, İzmir and Ankara, due to the increasing number of vehicles and the fact that vehicles cannot move at certain times of the day. Those who want to travel without getting stuck in traffic use both shared scooters and their own scooters. The increasing traffic every day naturally leads to an increase in the number and use of scooters every day."

Scooters have entered our lives intensively in the last 5 years

At this point, Özgür Şener said that if the safe use of scooters, which have entered our lives intensively in the last 5 years, cannot be ensured, we will continue to hear a lot about the deaths and injuries of scooter users in traffic collisions, and continued his remarks as follows:

"It would be much better and more understandable to explain it with some official figures. Since 2022, scooters and other similar vehicle accidents have started to be included in the records kept by our official authorities. According to the official information of TurkStat, Of the total 389 thousand 362 vehicles involved in traffic accidents with death or injury in our country's road network in 2023, 48.5 percent were cars, 23.8 percent were motorcycles, 14.0 percent were pickup trucks, 2.4 percent were minibuses, 2.3 percent were bicycles, 2.3 percent were tow trucks, 1.9 percent were trucks, 1.7 percent were buses, 0.8 percent were tractors and 2.4 percent were other vehicles. Vehicles defined as other has been defined as an electric scooter, special purpose vehicle, unknown, and so on. Compared to traffic collisions involving vehicles such as minibuses, tow trucks and trucks that have been used on the highway for years, it is understood that 2.4 percent is a very remarkable rate."

In 2,446 traffic collisions, 21 scooter users lost their lives

Noting that according to unofficial figures, 2,446 scooter users lost their lives and 2,050 users were injured in 2,446 traffic collisions involving scooters in 2023, Özgür Şener stated that "So, what improvements are needed for safe use? The 'Safe System Approach', which is adopted in developed countries in the field of Road Traffic Safety in the world, predicts that the prevention of traffic collisions and the provision of a safe traffic environment will be possible with the control of drivers, roads used, vehicles used and all these components.

The age of the scooter user is set at 16 years old, but...

Stating that the age of the user in the use of the 'Safe System Approach' scooter adopted by developed countries is determined as 16, Özgür Şener said that "However, no information that the 16-year-old user should have has been defined. Critical information such as traffic rules, traffic signs, and traffic flow is crucial. Unfortunately, it is not possible for someone who does not have this basic knowledge to safely drive and manage a vehicle on the carriageway. However, there are no safeguards to ensure that users are 16 years old."

Legislation on the use of protective equipment is a recipe for goodwill...

Emphasizing that the legislation is a recipe of goodwill regarding the use of protective equipment, Özgür Şener stated that "Therefore, authorization certificate holders are obliged to inform the service beneficiaries about the wearing of protective and visibility-enhancing equipment such as helmets, knee pads, and reflective jackets during the use of the e-Scooter. The legislation says that it is enough to give information to the people who will use it. It is up to them whether to use it or not. Imagine a vehicle that is allowed to speed up to 25 km/h per hour (private-use scooters can reach speeds of up to 65 km/h per hour), driven by a 16-year-old driver without any protection on a highway used by vehicles and motorcycles. When it is unbalanced at the slightest contact, it will hit asphalt, concrete, trees or another vehicle. Since they do not have any protective equipment such as helmets, goggles, protective jackets, knee pads, armbands, it is inevitable that one will be injured in the best-case scenario. It is very heartbreaking to even think of anything worse. The use of these vehicles without protective equipment should be strictly avoided."

The speed limit can be used on roads below 50 km

According to the legislation of scooters, Road and Traffic Safety Consultant Özgür Şener explained that if there is a bicycle path or bicycle lane, if there is no bicycle lane, it can be used on the road, provided that it is driven on the right in a way that does not risk traffic safety, on roads with a speed limit below 50 km, and on roads that are not prohibited by local governments. Şener continued his remarks as follows:

"When we evaluate the length of the bicycle paths in our country and the locations they can access and the purpose of using these vehicles, we all know that scooters are used on the roads. Again, the legislation states the speed should not exceed 25 km/h. It must have a brake mechanism. There should be headlights in front so that they can give white light and illuminate at least 20 meters in front. On the back, there should be a lamp that gives light in red color and a red reflector. There should be a bell, horn or similar sound instrument that can make a sound that can be heard from 30 meters. There is no system to ensure that all these are in working order, service and maintenance periods, how the maintenance service will be and by whom it can be provided, in short, there is no system to guarantee that this vehicle can always be used safely. In addition to all these, use in dark hours, use in rainy and snowy weather, detection-prevention of use under the influence of alcohol or drugs, conditions for benefiting from insurance, especially the user or other person harmed in a collision, traveling on two or more people, carrying loads, using vehicles on urban streets that are outside the routes where law enforcement officers carry out traffic controls We also need to evaluate important topics."

Government, academia, non-governmental organizations and experts should determine measures and practices!

Pointing out that scooters and similar vehicles should be supported because they are an environmentally friendly solution with their use of electrical energy, an important solution in reducing urban traffic density, and the future of alternative and sustainable transportation thanks to their integration with public transportation, Özgür Şener concluded his remarks as follows: "However, safe use problems must be solved. My suggestion is that the state, academia, non-governmental organizations and institutions serving in the field of road traffic safety such as us should come together and determine the measures and practices that will ensure the use of these vehicles in the safest possible way. Otherwise, it is likely that issues such as increasing deaths and injuries and France's ban on its use in Melbourne, Australia, will be raised."

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)