Don’t drink and ride! Tier e-scooters in London will now ask if you’ve been boozing and encourage you to order a taxi instead if you answer yes, after research reveals the majority of accidents are alcohol-fuelled
- Tier is one of three e-scooter operators providing e-scooters for the London trial
- It has partenered with Free Now to check with users if they’re too drunk to ride
- E-scooter injuries are most likely to occur when riders are fuelled with alcohol
E-scooters operated by Tier in London will now ask if you’ve been drinking alcohol and encourage you to order a taxi instead if you answer yes.
The anti-drink e-scooter feature on the Tier app is active between 9pm and 4am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday – the peak periods for boozing.
Tier is one of the three e-scooter operators involved in London’s 12-month e-scooter trial, which kicked off on Monday, along with Dott and Lime.
The trial has gone ahead despite concerns over their general safety – it’s feared inexperienced Londoners will use them to get home after a night’s drinking.
Earlier this week, research revealed that e-scooter injuries are most likely to occur at the weekend when riders are fuelled with alcohol.
E-scooters operated by Tier in London will now ask if you’ve been drinking alcohol and encourage you to order a taxi instead if you answer yes
The government hopes e-scooters will offer Londoners an accessible and environmentally-friendly method of travel, without emitting greenhouse gases like petrol and diesel vehicles
How does the anti-drinking feature work?
As part of the new feature, active between 9pm and 4am on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, anyone attempting to use a Tier e-scooter will be asked whether they have been drinking alcohol.
If they respond ‘yes’, they will be told not to use the e-scooter, and an in-app notification will direct them to book a taxi via the Free Now app.
The Free Now app is offering both taxi and e-scooter hire for the first time in the capital.
The feature is a joint initiative of Tier and Free Now – a ride-hailing app, which Londoners can use to hire a Tier e-scooter or a taxi.
Anyone attempting to use a Tier e-scooter will be asked whether they have been drinking alcohol. If they respond ‘yes’, they will be told not to use the e-scooter, and an in-app notification will direct them to book a taxi via the Free Now app.
Tier is yet to confirm to MailOnline whether there’s anything preventing a user from still using the e-scooter even if they admit they’ve been drinking.
All three operators involved in the London trial – Tier, Dott and Lime – also have their own apps for finding nearby scooters and paying for rides.
But Tier confirmed to MailOnline that being able to book a taxi on the Free Now app if they’ve drunk to much is exclusive to Tier.
Josh Hughes at Bolt Burdon Kemp, a national law firm specialising in claims for serious injury, seemed to approve of the clever safety feature.
‘Concerns around drunk e-scooter riders in London are well-founded and obvious comparisons can be drawn with rental bikes, popularly known as Boris Bikes, where riding under the influence has been a problem for several years,’ he told MailOnline.
Anyone attempting to use a Tier e-scooter will be asked whether they have been drinking alcohol. If they respond ‘yes’, they will be told not to use the e-scooter, and an in-app notification will direct them to book a taxi via the Free Now app (pictured)
‘This is especially so as Covid restrictions ease and the summer sun brings out huge numbers of city workers for after-work drinks.
‘In these circumstances and with the e-scooter trial upon us, the option to jump on a rental e-scooter instead of calling for a taxi to get home is likely to be increasingly popular.’
Hughes also said riders who cause injury to another person whilst under the influence are potentially liable to criminal prosecution – meaning opting for a taxi after a few pints is a wise move.
Operators Dott, Lime and Tier were appointed to take part in the trial by Transport for London (TFL)
According to research commissioned by Free Now, 49 per cent of London residents hope to take advantage of the capital’s e-scooter trial.
The trial launched in five of the city’s boroughs and areas – Canary Wharf, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Richmond, and Kensington & Chelsea. Users are also allowed to ride through Tower Hamlets.
The trial uses geo-fencing technology in a bid to stop e-scooters being used outside the set boundaries.
City of London announced the day the trial kicked off that it would be delaying its participation until July 5.
Tier and Lime e-scooters in London. Lime, Dott and Tier are running a 12-month trial of scooter rentals in several London boroughs, including Canary Wharf, although a ban on personal e-scooter use on city streets remains
HOW TO HIRE AN E-SCOOTER
You can rent the operators’ e-scooters through their mobile phone apps. You will need to:
– Download the app of your chosen operator (Tier, Dott or Lime)
– Complete the registration process including verifying your age and driving licence
– Complete the mandatory in-app training before your first ride
You will then be able to find an e-scooter. Use a QR code or vehicle ID displayed on the e-scooter to unlock that e-scooter in the relevant operator’s app.
Source: TfL
City of London Corporation did not disclose the reason for the hold-up in its involvement, although the Evening Standard newspaper reported it was ‘apparently due to a delay in resolving administrative rather than safety concerns’.
Over the next 12 months, more areas expected to join the UK government-backed programme, with 60 to 150 e-scooters being available to rent in each borough initially.
The government hopes e-scooters will offer Londoners an accessible and environmentally-friendly method of travel, without emitting greenhouse gases like petrol and diesel vehicles.
More than 40 towns and cities, including Birmingham and Manchester, are already taking part in the trial.
But there have been some very vocal critics leading up to the trial – earlier this month, a Met Police chief called e-scooters ‘absolute death traps’.
Sarah Leadbetter, a campaigner at the National Federation of the Blind, has also said e-scooters made walking down the street ‘a terrifying ordeal’ for the visually impaired.
‘Rentable e-scooters are taking people away from being active and using public transport, while creating chaos and unsafe situations for pedestrians,’ she said.
Amazingly, while helmets are recommended as part of the UK government-backed trial, but riders are not legally required to wear one.
To assuage safety concerns, Transport for London (TfL), which is overseeing the trial, said the safety standards during the London scheme ‘will go further than those set out at a national level’.
For example, e-scooters will have a maximum speed of 12.5 miles per hour as part of the trial, which is below the 15.5 miles per hour limit set by the Department for Transport.
A member of the public rides an e-scooter on the day of the launch of a pilot program (June 7)
New research has revealed e-scooter-related injuries are most likely to occur at the weekend when riders are fuelled with alcohol.
E-scooter drivers are prone to alcohol-fuelled risk taking, such as kerb jumping, the analysis of e-scooter injuries in the German city of Berlin reveal.
The authors found alcohol consumption prior to e-scooter use was linked to increased odds of brain injury and hospital admission, regardless of experience on the vehicle.
As well as this, rear lights will have to always be on throughout a rental, and an audible warning system will be available to the rider without having to adjust their grip on the handlebar.
Unregulated privately-owned e-scooters remain illegal to use on public roads in the UK and have not been approved as part of the trial.
Tier also said its e-scooters have safety features to minimise the risks to riders and the public, including indicator lights, triple brakes, shock absorbers and ‘the largest front wheel in the market’.
Tier also offers a feature called Safety Pricing, which doesn’t charge riders when vehicles are stationary during trips.
It aims to discourage a reckless approach to riding and prevent behaviour such as mounting a pavement to bypass traffic lights.
‘Ensuring the safety of our riders, other road users, and members of the public is our top priority,’ said Fred Jones, VP and regional general manager for Northern Europe at Tier.
‘Whilst we recognise that we can’t completely eliminate drink riding and we’re confident that the vast majority of Tier riders will know to use our vehicles responsibly, we will continue to offer new features and solutions which promote safe and sensible riding.’
Tier is one of the three e-scooter operators involved in London’s 12-month e-scooter trial, which kicked off on Monday, along with Dott and Lime
E-scooters made the headlines in July 2019, TV presenter and YouTube influencer Emily Hartridge was killed while riding her e-scooter in Battersea, London.
She is believed to be the first person to die in the UK in an accident involving an e-scooter. She was later ruled to be riding too fast with an under-inflated tyre when tragically killed in a crash with a lorry.
On April 17, a three-year-old boy suffered serious injuries when he was hit from behind by an e-scooter while walking on a pavement with his grandmother in Feltham, west London.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LONDON’S E-SCOOTER TRIAL AND CURRENT UK E-SCOOTER LAW
A trial of rental electric scooters launched in London on June 7, Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed, despite safety concerns.
TfL and London Councils, which represents the city’s local authorities, have selected operators Dott, Lime and Tier to carry out the 12-month pilot scheme.
It will be the first time e-scooters will legally be allowed on London’s roads, although private e-scooters continue to be illegal in public areas in the UK.
London’s scheme is initially be restricted to six boroughs and areas – Canary Wharf, Ealing, Hammersmith and Fulham, Richmond, City of London and Kensington and Chelsea – although users will also be allowed to ride through Tower Hamlets.
The trial will use geo-fencing technology in a bid to stop e-scooters being used outside the set boundaries.
The government hopes e-scooters will offer Londoners an accessible and environmentally-friendly method of travel, without emitting greenhouse gases like petrol and diesel vehicles.
Under the trial, e-scooters will only be permitted on London’s roads and cycle paths – not on footways – and riders will be required to take an online safety course before their first hire.
Similar trials have been held in urban areas across Britain since July last year.
Unregulated privately-owned e-scooters remain illegal to use on public roads and have not been designed for safe use on the capital’s streets.
To assuage safety concerns, TfL said the safety standards during the London scheme ‘will go further than those set out at a national level’.
For example, e-scooters will have a maximum speed of 12.5 miles per hour as part of the trial, which is below the 15.5 miles per hour limit set by the Department for Transport.
As well as this, rear lights will have to always be on throughout a rental, and an audible warning system will be available to the rider without having to adjust their grip on the handlebar.
Initially, a total of 200 scooters will be made available to customers aged over 18 who hold a valid driver’s licence.
The scooters will cost £1 to unlock and then 16p per minute.
The three operators – Dott, Lime and Tier – are obliged to ensure that their rental prices ‘take into account the needs of people on lower incomes’ and offer discounts ‘to certain groups where appropriate’, including key workers.
While TfL has hailed the move as a key part of the city’s sustainable future and post- pandemic recovery, a Metropolitan Police officer thinks differently.
Simon Ovens labeled e-scooters as ‘absolute death traps’, with officers having seized around 800 already this year.
Charity Guide Dogs has called for the sale of e-scooters to be banned, describing their use as ‘a serious safety issue for many people with sight loss’.
Sarah Leadbetter, a campaigner at the National Federation of the Blind, has also said e-scooters made walking down the street ‘a terrifying ordeal’ for the visually impaired.
‘Rentable e-scooters are taking people away from being active and using public transport, while creating chaos and unsafe situations for pedestrians,’ she said.
CURRENT UK E-SCOOTER LAW
According to the Department of Transport, e-scooters are classed as ‘powered transporters’ and meet the legal definition of a ‘motor vehicle’.
They must therefore meet a number of requirements in order to be used on the road, including having insurance and conforming to ‘technical standards.’
As they do not, they are considered illegal to use on roads in Britain.
The Metropolitan Police has also said it is illegal to use privately-owned e-scooters on the road and riders risk being fined or even having penalty points on their licence.
Riders also risk having their e-scooters seized by police.
The Department of Transport said e-scooters are covered by the 1988 Road Traffic Act, which also includes Segways, hoverboards, go-peds (combustion engine-powered kick scooters), powered unicycles, and u-wheels’.
The ban does not apply to electrically-assisted pedal bicycles.
According to the Department of Transport: ‘For motor vehicles to use public roads lawfully, they must meet a number of different requirements. These include insurance; conformity with technical standards and standards of use; payment of vehicle tax, licensing, and registration; driver testing and licensing; and the use of relevant safety equipment.
‘If the user of a powered transporter could meet these requirements, it might in principle be lawful for them to use public roads. However, it is likely that they will find it very difficult to comply with all of these requirements, meaning that it would be a criminal offence to use them on the road.’
E-scooters are also banned from using pavements under the 1835 Highway Act. E-scooters can be used on private land with the landowner’s permission.
Ben Pepper, associate at Bolt Burdon Kemp, a national law firm specialising in claims for serious injury, said: ‘Whilst there are environmental benefits to allowing the use of privately owned e-scooters on the roads, the potential for serious and even fatal collisions must not be overlooked.
‘If legalised, riders should have insurance in place so that people injured by e-scooters can access compensation.’
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