ROMA – The expansion of electric scooters with knows obstacles, both as private vehicles and as shared micro-mobility devices. The current challenge is to make the use of these vehicles safer, in consideration of the growing number of accidents, including fatalities, which involve them. Thus, to meet the need for greater safety, Bird, a true giant in the sector, is launching “Safe Start”, a new function available on its smartphone app, aimed at encouraging responsible driving of electric scooters. The purpose of Safe Start is to dissuade people from driving electric scooters under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Precisely for this reason, at the time considered most at risk, between 10pm and 4am, users who try to unlock a Bird scooter will be asked to check if they are able to drive the vehicle safely by correctly entering a generated password in the application. at the moment.
Those who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol will therefore be encouraged to choose an alternative method of transportation such as a taxi. “Sometimes all you need is a reminder, that critical moment of deterrence, to change your mind and prevent a potentially dangerous situation from occurring,” said Mark Marquis of the Tiffin, Ohio Police Department. that moment asking users to slow down, take a step back and think: Do I really want to take a risk right now by driving a vehicle in an altered state? ”. Currently the Safe Start function is already being tested in the United States and during the summer it will be made available globally in the more than 250 partner cities in which the Bird scooters operate, including 13 Italian locations. (maurilio rigo)
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