Honestly, seeing them zipping around everywhere they look pretty good on the face of it. The advantages seem obvious:

  • Save time versus walking
  • Quiet
  • No effect on local air quality

The main issue is them colliding with pedestrians, but (similar to bike lanes) that’s a thing town planners should deal with by creating the right environment.

I’m willing to change my view if people tell me good reasons they are bad.

Yes, there is more environmental impact than a bicycle, but not than an e-bike, and they seem to be good for people reluctant to cycle.

    • DragonSlayer999 [none/use name]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      1·
      2 months ago

      https://www.ntsb.gov/safety/safety-studies/Documents/SRR2201.pdf

      Although the existing scientific literature indicates an increase in the use of electric scooters and electric bicycles as well as an increase in electric scooter and electric bicycle rider fatalities and injuries, better quality data, efficient research methods, and replicable results are needed to improve our understanding of electric scooter and electric bicycle safety.

      At least 119 electric scooter and electric bicycle fatalities occurred between 2017 and 2021; however, because the crash data are not standardized, they do not provide a robust representation of electric scooter and electric bicycle safety

      So it’s ambiguous and we don’t have data on whethe they’re dangerous