Did You Know There’s 3 to 5 E-Scooter or E-Bike Accidents a Week?

If you have been downtown Grand Rapids in the past couple of years you have seen the e-scooters and e-bikes, but did you know there are 3-5 accidents per week?

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Lime E-Scooters & E-Bikes in Grand Rapids

A pilot program of e-scooters and e-bikes was started in September of 2020 allowing citizens and visitors the chance to cruise around the city of Grand Rapids.

In the summer of 2022, the City of Grand Rapids Commission made "Lime" the official e-scooter and e-bike that covers a 12-mile area of the city allowing commuters, visitors, and residents a fun way to travel around the city.

I work downtown Grand Rapids and see these e-scooters and e-bikes in action every day. Sometimes I spot riders who have probably had a few too many adult beverages. I wondered if there were any accidents or injuries with these bikes and scooters, especially after some of the careless riding I've witnessed.

There Are 3 to 5 Accidents a Week Involving E-Scooters or E-Bikes in Grand Rapids

I am in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids and just walking from the parking garage across the street to the office building for work, I have almost been hit by people riding e-scooters or e-bikes dozens of times. I often get out of work when people have been at the bar and attempt riding these and gets a little chaotic in downtown.

According to WOOD, Grand Rapids Fire Chief Brad Brown said, "Generally, this time of year, we're responding to three to five incidents per week."

In three years of having e-bikes and e-scooters in downtown Grand Rapids, there have been 99 reports of accidents across the city. Most of them are caused by riders not paying attention or not wearing a helmet. One woman who had been drinking heavily died a couple of years ago after falling off of an e-scooter.