Perth E-Rideables: ‘Crashes not our fault’ say e-riders accused of bad behaviour on roads

Just one in 10 eRideable users in Perth believe they’re to blame for crashes and other bad behaviour on the roads, new research has revealed. Underscoring deep division between riders and other road users, pedestrians were more likely to believe they were at risk from reckless eRiders using footpaths than from others, but e-riders claimed cyclists and pedestrians were to blame. Riders of electronic devices like scooters, skateboards and bikes were far more likely to break the rules, a University of WA team that analysed nearly 30,000 eRriders and cyclists across the city found. Meanwhile people who hired the devices under council share schemes were four times more likely to wear helmets. Teenagers were most likely to engage in risky behaviour, according to the findings, published this month in the academic journal Transportation Research. It also highlighted the increasing strain on hospitals because many riders failed to take basic safety precautions. About 20 per cent of riders surveyed admitted to speeding, while nearly the same proportion said they had no awareness of new regulations affecting their use. Researchers, led by Professor Paul Roberts, believe an advertising blitz specifically targeted at young riders would help to increase awareness of all the rules that apply to eRiders, particularly around helmets. The riders least likely to actually wear helmets were eBike and eWheel riders, the research showed, and about 15 per cent of eRiders overall admitted to not wearing a helmet at some point. The results come as the WA Government and Transport Department work on national rules to crackdown on dangerous eRideables. National transport ministers at an August meeting decided better regulation was needed after a spate of deaths and serious injuries across the country. It’s expected to be finalised by the end of the year. There are also increased risks of fire from the devices due to faulty batteries, and a lack of product regulations allows vehicles in breach of State rules to be imported into the country. The research found people who did not use e-rideables reported such devices doing the wrong thing — like not giving way, swerving dangerously close to pedestrians, running red lights, carrying passengers, using mobile phones, drink-riding and doing tricks. ERiders themselves, Professor Roberts wrote, admitted to “these same risky behaviours — albeit at a lower rate.” “Around half of non-eRiders claimed to have seen a near-miss, but only one third of eRiders said they had been involved in or witnessed a near miss,” he said. Speed was cited by almost one-in-five survey respondents as the cause of accidents and other problems. People who did not use electronic rideables were more focused on the lack of rule-compliance than those who did — with many wanting specific paths for their use.