First launched in Santa Monica, California in September of 2017, Bird scooters have become a popular, fun, and affordable way to cruise around town with friends. These scooters, which top 15 miles per hour, are ride-sharing electronic devices that were designed to help get cars off of roads as an alternative option for traveling. In late October of 2019, 500 Bird scooters were introduced to Colorado State University and the city of Fort Collins. Having been around for over three months there have been many advocates for the new mode of transportation as well as some not so hot reviews.
CSU made a strong push in 2019 to add these scooters around town for a variety of reasons. “CSU is very hopeful that e-scooters will provide affordable access to our campuses,” said Aaron Fodge, CSU’s alternative transportation manager. “E-scooters will be an excellent tool to help with first-mile access to transit serving CSU and will offer a great way for visitors to experience our beautiful campuses” (Walsh).
Bird scooters had already proven themselves as a reliable form of transportation for millions of people in cities around the country. There are inherent dangers when stepping onto a Bird scooter, however, CSU receives $125,000 annually from Bird for infrastructure improvements and safety education.
In an article written by The Rocky Mountain Collegian two weeks after the scooters launched, students seemed very excited about the new electronic scooters. Many CSU students cited that the Bird scooters are an awesome new thing to do. One student even mentioned that she has seen a decrease in foot traffic with the introduction of this new mode of transportation (Trulson).
Though many students see Bird scooters as harmless devices they can use for transportation or leisure, many others see them as dangerous machines that will inevitably cause damage to someone or something. Fort Collins is in the infancy stages of their Bird implementation so there has yet to be major backlash, however, other cities around the country are dealing with opposition towards the e-scooters.
Bird has set up many rules to maintain optimal safety, though many of these rules are not strictly enforced. For example, scooters are supposed to be parked near bike racks and out of the way of pedestrians, however, if you have walked around Fort Collins you would know that rarely happens. John Mirisch, mayor of Beverly Hills, California, states the scooters are seen like liter from his residents (Mhatre). We all know how much the Fort Collins community respects our land so if more scooters are introduced, could FoCo see the same problem as Beverly Hills?
Another rule that is rarely followed is wearing a helmet when operating a scooter. The Bird scooter website does state that riders must wear a helmet while on the scooter, and they will even send you one for free in the mail should you request. However, you rarely see drivers of the electronic scooters sporting helmets. I would guess that in a college town the helmet usage is even less than the norm.
Whether you are riding a bike, skiing, or operating a Bird scooter, wearing a helmet protects against potential fatal head injuries. Rachel Withers of slate.com had a life-threatening incident on a scooter and is now a major advocate for stronger implementation of the helmet law.
“It was on my way back from a morning taco de canasta, scooting legally in the bike lane, that I was broadsided by a white car that decided to turn right, through my lane, without looking, and drive off. I remember nothing except seeing the car at the last second, screaming, wondering if I was about to die, and really hoping I wouldn’t” (Withers).
Withers’ story proves that even if you are being completely safe and legal with your operation of the scooter, there is still an inherent risk of injury.
After assessing all of the data and personal stories I do believe Bird can and must to more to help with safety issues in regard to their scooters. There have been thousands of injuries on these electric scooters — some leading to death. I believe the company must work together with the cities they distribute to in order to better regulate safety measures. Whether it means strictly enforcing riders to where helmets or modifying the scooters so they are safer, something must be done.
Bird scooters are a hit with many students as they provide a fun, easy, and more environmental friendly way to get around campus. Bird has a terrific product that is not going away anytime soon, but they must look at themselves and their safety regulations before moving forward with more scooters in cities such as Fort Collins.
