78-year-old dies after collision with electric scooter on the street
Fatality raises further questions on regulation and safety protocols of personal mobility vehicles
A 78-year-old woman died this Wednesday at a hospital in Lleida after being hit by an electric scooter on Tuesday.
The accident took place shortly before one in the afternoon on Avinguda Catalunya in the centre of the city, when the woman was crossing the bike lane to access the pedestrian crossing and was hit by the scooter.
As a result of the impact, she suffered a severe blow to the head. The scooter user was also injured and both were taken to the hospital.
It is the first fatality related to a personal mobility vehicle in the western Catalan city.
Safety questions
The casualty brings the regulation and safety protocols of scooters into further question after a string of recent serious incidents.
Since August 21 alone, a 63-year-old man in Badalona was left in a critical condition after being hit by an electric scooter that police believe may have driven through a red light, another man was left seriously injured in Terrassa after the scooter he was driving had a collision with a car, and a 25-year-old man in Alella was critically injured after suffering a fall from his scooter.
Other similar incidents have become more and more common in Catalonia in recent years as scooters have grown in popularity.
The Local Police of the city of Salt, just outside Girona, reported 30 drivers of electric scooters in a two-week period in April for not complying with traffic regulations.
Meanwhile, at the start of the summer, the Tarragona city council launched a pilot programme to train people to drive electric scooters safely. It started with a group of 65 high school students from the city, with the conference divided into both theory lessons and practical sessions.
37% of scooter users skip traffic lights
A detailed report from the drivers’ association RACC released in early September revealed that 37% of scooter users skip traffic lights, 22% do not respect pedestrians, and 26% of accidents involving people who walk.
The study points out that 51% of personal mobility vehicle users do not know basic aspects of driving, such as the use of a helmet, lights, or the spaces where they can drive.
The study also shows that 52% of scooter users do not wear a helmet, reflective lights or reflective vests, a measure mandatory for large scooters and recommended for the rest.
In addition, although not allowed, 45% of scooter users drive with earphones in and 24% use a mobile phone while driving.