Bird has become the first micromobility provider to partner with national charity Drinkaware on a campaign to encourage safe use of micromobility vehicles on Irish roads.
The campaign will go live when e-scooters are legalised for use on public roads by the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021.
The Bill is currently making its way through the Oireachtas, and according to the Government’s recent Sustainable Mobility Strategy, will be in place by the end of this year.
CEO of Drinkaware Sheena Horgan told Zag Daily: “New legislation regarding alcohol use and e-scooters is due to come into effect in the near future and therefore now, in this interim period, is the right time to set a high bar on safety and embed this important message in the public’s psyche.
“It is imperative the public understands that their safety will be compromised if they ‘drink and ride’, just as it is with drink driving.”
Campaign imagery encouraging safe riding will soon be on display in towns and cities across Ireland.
Bird will introduce its ‘Safe Start’ feature too. This in-app ‘checkpoint’ looks to discourage people from riding under the influence. Between 10pm and 4am, a rider attempting to unlock a Bird e-scooter or e-bike will be asked to verify that they can safely handle the vehicle by correctly entering a keyword in the app.
The campaign will also aim to compliment draft legislation which sets out fines of up to €2,000 for riders caught ‘drink riding’.
Victoria Springthorpe, Head of Ireland and UK Public Policy at Bird added: “Safety is always our no.1 priority and so we’re thrilled to partner with Drinkaware, a leading voice on road safety in Ireland, to educate and prepare people ahead of the legalisation of e-scooters.”
