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Micro‑mobility and road safety: why do e‑scooter riders use the sidewalk? Evidence from a German field study

Objectives: Since their introduction in 2019, the use of e-scooters has become widespread in Germany. Concerns about road safety, especially pedestrian safety, have arisen as the popularity of micro-mobility has grown. In light of this context, the present study investigates which types of road infrastructure e-scooter riders use, with a focus on riding on the sidewalk, which is not permitted in Germany. We considered the following infrastructures: (1) off-road bike lane (+ sidewalk and road), (2) on-road bike lane (+ sidewalk and road), and (3) road (+ sidewalk).

Methods: Observations at six sites (recording 738 e-scooter riders) and on-site surveys (involving responses from 129 e-scooter riders) were conducted in two German cities in August 2020 and September 2020.

Results: Self-reported sidewalk riding was not found to be linked directly to a lack of rule knowledge, a preference for this type of infrastructure, or perceived safety. Observations indicated that using the sidewalk might be related to situational components, such as comfort or convenience, comprising up to 40% of instances of sidewalk riding.

Conclusion: Considering the comfort and convenience factor of sites when building or improving cycling infrastructure can help keep e-scooter riders from riding on the sidewalk.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:92889
Date19 August 2024
CreatorsAnke, Juliane, Ringhand, Madlen, Petzoldt, Tibor, Gehlert, Tina
PublisherSpringer
Source SetsHochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text
Rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
Relation1866-8887, 29, 10.1186/s12544-023-00607-z

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