• How e-scooters can safely operate in a c

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Thu Mar 31 22:30:46 2022
    How e-scooters can safely operate in a city

    Date:
    March 31, 2022
    Source:
    Chalmers University of Technology
    Summary:
    E-scooters have become a familiar sight in cities worldwide in
    recent years, with many new companies renting them for use. But
    their arrival has also brought new safety concerns. Now, researchers
    present a framework for comparing how different micromobility
    vehicles, such as e- scooters, and bicycles move in cities, a
    methodology that can benefit companies and local authorities alike,
    and -- most importantly - - contribute to improving traffic safety.



    FULL STORY ========================================================================== E-scooters have become a familiar sight in cities worldwide in recent
    years, with many new companies renting them for use. But their arrival
    has also brought new safety concerns. Now, researchers from Chalmers
    University of Technology, Sweden, present a framework for comparing how different micromobility vehicles, such as e-scooters, and bicycles move
    in cities, a methodology that can benefit companies and local authorities alike, and -- most importantly -- contribute to improving traffic safety.


    ==========================================================================
    In recent years, e-scooters have proliferated in cities worldwide,
    offering citizens a novel and convenient way to get around, but
    their arrival has not been frictionless. Commonly voiced concerns are
    that e-scooter riders break traffic rules, ride too fast, and park inappropriately. Perhaps most concerning is that crash databases,
    as well as insurance claims, show a clear and disproportionate rise
    in crashes as the number of e-scooters increases. Local authorities
    have sought to address these concerns through measures such as speed restrictions, requiring users to wear helmets, designated parking areas,
    and limiting the number of scooters or operators allowed in the city --
    or even outright bans.

    "E-Scooters are not necessarily more dangerous than bicycles, but they
    are often perceived as such, possibly because of their unfamiliarity and
    the behavior of their riders," explains Marco Dozza, Professor in Active
    Safety and Road-User Behaviour at Chalmers University of Technology,
    and lead author of the new study.

    "While bicycling benefits from established social norms, regulations, and infrastructure, the same is not true for newer micromobility vehicles,
    such as e-scooters, Segways, monowheels, electric skateboards and so
    on. The spread and usage of these vehicles is only likely to increase,
    so finding ways to safely integrate them in the transport system is
    a vital and urgent challenge." To understand what makes riding new micromobility vehicles unsafe and how that compares to riding a more traditional bicycle, extensive data is needed.

    Scooter companies already have access to huge amounts of data, because
    they track every ride using GPS, but the quality of the data tends to
    only be useful for logistics and mapping services, while providing
    insufficient information about safety. Hospital admissions data and
    police reports may help appreciate the size of the safety problem --
    but cannot explain why crashes happen.

    What is missing is a framework for collecting and analysing data to
    understand what makes rider behavior unsafe and causes the crashes. Now,
    Marco Dozza and colleagues present exactly this.



    ==========================================================================
    Two different strategies: braking or steering away The researchers
    outline a process for data-collection in the field and analysis, that
    is intended to be repeatable and adaptable for different vehicles --
    from identifying useful test-maneuvers, to measuring and analysing the
    results of subsequent experiments. In their pilot study, the researchers compared bikes and e-scooters directly, equipping them with measuring instruments and testing the riders on various maneuvers, involving
    combinations of braking -- both planned, and in reaction to a random
    signal -- and steering at different speeds.

    One of the most relevant findings of the new research was the fact that
    the braking performance of a bicycle proved consistently superior to
    the one of an e-scooter -- offering faster deceleration and up to two
    times shorter stopping distance. In contrast, the e-scooter performed
    better during the steering maneuvers, involving a slalom through traffic
    cones -- likely due to its shorter wheelbase and no need to pedal. The participants were also questioned about their experience and confirmed
    that braking felt more comfortable on the bicycle and steering more so
    on the e-scooter.

    "The two vehicles showed distinct advantages and disadvantages through
    the different scenarios," explains Marco Dozza. "We can say that the
    best strategy for a cyclist and an e-scooterist to avoid the same crash
    may be different - - either braking or steering away." The results from
    these experiments may inform how the infrastructure might be designed
    to benefit all riders -- for example, a winding path might be easier for e-scooterists than for cyclists, whereas a cyclist might find a narrower
    path, with low light less challenging than an e-scooterist.

    "Of course, this experiment was small, and the data far from conclusive.

    However, it demonstrates the potential for field data to describe rider behavior and help understand the causes of crashes. With more data,
    we may reach a comprehensive picture of the rider behaviors that make
    riding an e- scooter safe which could help authorities devise innovative
    safety measures and motivate their decisions to the public," explains
    Marco Dozza.

    Potential application in smart future cities The researchers will now,
    in collaboration with Scandinavian scooter company Voi, collect more field
    data to account for differences between riders and scenarios. Eventually, findings such as the one presented here could teach future automated
    vehicles and intelligent-transport-systems how to best interact with scooterists and cyclists by anticipating their behavior. Other safety
    measures that could be based on results from field-data analyses include dynamic geofencing -- limiting the scooters' speed depending on how
    crowded an area is, or the time of the day or week.

    Voi were not involved in the research project outlined here in any form,
    nor any other scooter company.


    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
    Chalmers_University_of_Technology. Original written by Lovisa Haakansson
    ?and Joshua Worth. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


    ========================================================================== Journal Reference:
    1. Marco Dozza, Alessio Violin, Alexander Rasch. A data-driven
    framework for
    the safe integration of micro-mobility into the transport system:
    Comparing bicycles and e-scooters in field trials. Journal of
    Safety Research, 2022; DOI: 10.1016/j.jsr.2022.01.007 ==========================================================================

    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220331101554.htm

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