Micromobility operator TIER has teamed up with personal safety app Flare to develop several safety features for riders, including an SOS emergency button.
The SOS feature allows riders to use voice activation or push a button to discreetly call for help if they feel unsafe or threatened when travelling.
This then sends out a tracking link to the rider’s five emergency contacts and all nearby Flare users to ensure that help arrives as quickly as possible.
Another feature called GroupSafe lets riders share their live location with friends and family in case someone becomes vulnerable.
The new partnership follows TIER and Safe & the City’s recent research collaboration, which explored some of the barriers to micromobility adoption for women.
Their findings revealed that just 3 per cent of women in the UK would feel safe riding alone at night, citing concerns about being followed, stalked or sexually harassed.
Georgia Yexley, TIER’s Head of Cities for the UK and Ireland, told ZAG Daily: “We are committed to working with partners like Flare, Safe & the City, transport operators and local councils to understand the barriers women face so that we can employ all possible measures to support their safety.”
“Our ambition is to improve road safety for all. That means not only addressing the physical safety of our riders on the road, but also supporting them to feel confident on their journeys – at whatever time.”
Other safety features of Flare’s include a hazard alert function that lets TIER’s users report upcoming hazards like potholes to other riders, and an incident detection function that was already available to TIER customers. This uses AI to recognise if a rider has been involved in a safety incident and notifies emergency contacts if no response is detected.
James Duffy, Founder and COO at Flare, added: “As e-scooters become more prevalent in the UK, we believe everyone should have the right to feel safe whilst riding. We’re really excited about partnering with TIER, and proud to keep their riders and the roads safer for everyone.”
