Ensuring micromobility is safe for women requires a multi-pronged approach

As uptake of e-scooters increases, perhaps inevitably, so do the numbers of collisions involving them. Use of e-scooters is heavily skewed towards men; the Department for Transport’s e-scooter trial evaluation report found 71% of users were male. It is hardly surprising, then, that on a purely numerical basis, more men than women are involved in e-scooter collisions. DfT figures for the year ending June 2022 found e-scooter user casualties were predominantly male, especially amongst those aged 10-39.

Research carried out in the USA found, in contrast with the user statistics, found that while men were more likely to be involved in collisions in general, e-scooter related injury crashes were more likely to occur for women. Women were also more likely to report riding on footways and non-paved surfaces more frequently, which was associated with nearly double the risk of an injury collision compared to using bicycle lanes.

Reasons for this are complex, and more research is needed. However, it has been suggested that e-scooter design issues may contribute to an increased injury risk for women; factors such as handlebar height, centre of gravity, and the required upper body strength which may be more aligned to male riders. A lack of experience may also contribute if women are less frequent riders than men.

If more women are riding on footways, as reported by the study in the USA, then it is likely that infrastructure needs to be improved to allow women to ride more safely. Active Travel England has recently announced a ￡200 million government fund to improve walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure. Crucially, local authorities applying must demonstrate that their proposals take women’s safety into account. At the core, safe infrastructure means safe spaces for active travel and micromobility riders, segregated from motor vehicles and away from pedestrians. But there are other important factors to consider too, especially in the context of women’s safety. Research by TIER and Safe and The City found that 31% of women have concerns with using micromobility because of a lack of lighting in parking areas; with an even greater proportion of women with disabilities raising this issue. A quarter of women were concerned about being stalked or followed when using micromobility, and over 50% were concerned about the behaviour of other road users.

This suggests a range of interventions are needed – such as good quality lighting in parking areas and along routes; CCTV to increase personal security, and; provision of direct routes to ensure efficient journeys, minimise diversions and avoid quiet, dark and sparsely populated areas. Undertaking infrastructure audits is a valuable step here as this can help to identify weaknesses in current infrastructure and inform what investment is needed to bring it up to scratch. For example, at TRL we undertake Active Travel Audits from the perspective of pedestrians, cyclists and micromobility riders which involves assessment of over 50-factors in the environment, including those relevant to women’s safety such as lighting, directness and security.

Vehicle-side interventions can also help, as outlined in TIER’s research – for example by embedding features into shared micromobility apps which enable quick access to emergency services, in-app or on-vehicle alarms and the ability for friends and family to track journey progress. Fundamentally, we must build spaces and deliver services which address both collision and non-collision related safety concerns to ensure overall risk (both actual and perceived) is reduced. Only through this multi-pronged approach can we ensure new mobility modes are safe and attractive, not only for women, but for everyone

This article was written jointly by Victoria Eyers and George Beard