Swedish e-scooter operator Voi has published its first Annual Safety Report, a detailed paper aimed at improving safety within the micromobility sector.
The report combines data from its own research and external findings, while outlining the steps taken towards its Vision Zero target of eradicating severe injuries and fatalities by 2030.
It found that 70 per cent of city authorities believe that fewer cars and more micromobility is good for safety, while almost two thirds of riders named either infrastructure or the behaviour of other road users as the main reason they felt unsafe while riding an e-scooter.
Based on its service in Oslo, Norway, crashes fell by 45 per cent between 2019 and 2020, while 34 per cent of crashes on Voi e-scooters occur at night.
A Voi survey also found that more than 80 per cent of riders never wear a helmet, with the most common reason cited being the fact that they do not own one.
Based on the findings in the report, Voi has identified seven factors that substantially impact the risk for incidents that could cause fatalities or injuries. They are as follows:
1. Heavy, fast-moving vehicles present the greatest road safety risks.
2. Lack of safe road infrastructure is a significant risk for lightweight travellers.
3. The first rides with e-scooters have an increased crash-risk.
4. Inadequate knowledge of traffic rules increases risky riding behaviour.
5. Riding under the influence of alcohol and drugs is a critical risk factor.
6. Lack of helmet usage increases the head injury risk.
7. Wrongly parked scooters and pavement riding increases the risk for other road users.
Voi Technology CEO Fredrik Hjelm told Zag that he hoped the report would help create a conversation between operators and other stakeholders with the view of improving safety.
“We believe that by identifying the risks in our operations we can address these directly, to help make streets safer,” he said.
“We hope that sharing this research and presenting our actions to increase safety will foster a dialogue on how Voi can improve road safety together with cities and other partners.”
Voi operates across 50 cities in 11 countries, with more than 6,000,000 riders having used its e-scooters.
A link to the full report can be found here.
