'E-scooters are just not safe - I nearly killed someone last week '

Irish Daily Mirror

15 hours ago

I nearly killed somebody last week. That's not hyperbole - it's a genuine statement. I was inches away from taking the life of another person.
Let me set the scene. I was driving and about to turn right from a main road onto a side one. I was completely stationary. I checked my wing and rear-view mirrors. I indicated, checked my mirrors one last time, and went to complete the turn.
A young lad on a souped-up e-scooter came whizzing up on my right side. I jammed on the brakes harder than was needed to stop a car that was barely moving.
If I had made any contact, the e-scooter rider would have lost his balance and fallen. Like most who rally through the streets of any Irish city across the country, he wasn't wearing a helmet.
Couple that with the speed at which he was going, and I'm certain that had he fallen, his injuries would have been catastrophic.
His family would no doubt spend a lifetime grieving a loved one, while I would never be able to shake the guilt of what I had done - no matter how much I tried.
Everybody, I told this story to afterward said it's not my fault if somebody comes out of nowhere. Except, he didn't come from nowhere. He came up on my inside at about 60km/h.
For a moment or two in the aftermath, I was paralysed with fear. The e-scooter rider, who was moments away from meeting his maker, didn't even seem to flinch as he continued to zip up the street.
This suggested to me that he saw no fault in what he did and that it was a clear pattern of behaviour. I'm sure he has numerous near misses like this every single day that he doesn't even notice.
Multiply this by the number of reckless riders across the country every day, and the potential for fatalities is astronomical.
Of course, lots of people use two-wheeled modes of transport safely and wear helmets - even though, for some bizarre reason, they're not legally required.
But they're heavily outnumbered by the black tracksuit brigade which have spread through the road network like an aggressive cancer that's growing by the day.
The majority are rigged to go faster than the legal speed limit of 25km/h and most who use them either have no understanding of the rules of the road or wilfully ignore them.
Before I was allowed to even start practising on the road in a car with an instructor, I had to sit in a prefab on the outskirts of Dublin and answer 35 questions correctly about the rules of the road.
Being able to balance seems to be the only requirement for using e-scooters. I wish that were a joke.
Do they have tax and insurance? Nope, it's not required. What about a simple way to distinguish between the thousands of riders such as having a registration plate? Sure, why would you need that?
This has made them essential for criminal groupings and made it a hell of a lot easier for them to do their business.
Something the Gardai have repeatedly highlighted as a concern.
Motorists from any Irish city have all noticed riders' quick exchanges with shifty-looking people in parks or pulled over in cars in broad daylight.
And sure, the postmen who deliver the world's smallest parcels should, of course, be able to drive the wrong way down streets. They have precious cargo after all.
Like most things, the Irish Government was slow to catch on. and the legislation governing their use is wholly inadequate.
The Gardai, whose hands were tied for years, are struggling to come up with an effective method to police them.
But some simple changes at Government level can be introduced.
Electric scooters should have some clear, identifiable features. At present, finding a specific grain of sand on a beach would be easier.
Helmets need to be required. In addition, some sort of theory-based exam should be mandatory before they can be used. Penalties for non-compliance should be treated the same as those for driving without a license.
Some might think that's overkill, but it's better than being killed.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.