Electric scooter company Lime adds step to cut down on drunk riding

Friday, 26 April 2019

Lime Scooters runs its Auckland operations from a centrally located warehouse in Eden Tce.

Lime has added an extra step for those taking out its electric scooters for a late-night spin, in an effort to reduce the number of users riding under the influence.

The California-based company says the self-regulation measure is a prequel to further drunk rider detection and other improvements being developed to make the scooters safer to ride.

From the start of this week, those trying to rent a Lime after 10pm now have to confirm they are capable of controlling the scooters, which can go almost 30kmh and are allowed on both road and footpath.

The in-app message is being trialled in New Zealand.

When the would-be rider opens the app, a message pops up warning that drinking and riding is dangerous and illegal, and calls for the user to ask themselves whether they are safe to ride. It requires the word 'yes' to be typed in before the scooter will unlock.

* No rush from Government to crack down on riding e-scooters drunk**

Though police have said those scootering drunk will not be done for drink-driving as that charge only applies to motor vehicles, those behaving badly could still be charged with careless use of a vehicle.

Lime scooters have added an in-app message that makes riders type in a word before they can take late night trips, in an effort to reduce drunk riding.

Lime NZ public affairs manager Lauren Mentjox said the in-app message was being trialled in a few select countries, including New Zealand.

It was a way to get riders to think about whether they were in a fit state to go for a ride. People could have multiple goes to type in the word and it did not lock them out of using the scooters overnight.

The message aims to get people to think before they go for a ride, presumably to reduce situations like this where a person combines a Lime scooter and fireworks. It is not known if the rider was under the influence in this photo.

There had been cases of riders scooting under the influence, which was a breach of Lime's terms and conditions, Mentjox said.

She said Lime was working on drunk rider detection technology and other software, product and hardware solutions to address the issue and other potential safety concerns such as footpath riding.

An ACC spokesman said ACC was unable to provide figures on drunk scootering injuries because, as a no-fault scheme, people were not required to provide details like whether they were intoxicated.

The Christchurch City Mission's alcohol and other drug services manager Jan Spence said any initiative from Lime was a good thing but it could go further with restrictions.

'If somebody is really intoxicated and they can type [Yes] in, they can potentially still be at harm,' she said.

She suggested a time restriction on the scooters at night or a speed limit to help reduce the risk.

'I think they have capacity to go too fast,' she said.