B.C. senior hurt in crash wants tougher rules for e-scooters | 24CA News
A North Vancouver lady needs to see extra regulation for electrical scooters, after being significantly injured in a collision final month.
Cullen Goodyear is 74 years previous, and till final month was coaching for an Ironman triathlon.
That modified on July 8, when she was driving a motorbike close to Lost Lagoon and was struck from behind by somebody on an e-scooter.
“(He) smashed into me just as I was about to make my turn going quite fast, and down I went and my hip was broken,” she informed Global News.
The collision left her within the hospital with a hip fracture and punctures to her decrease left leg, in the end requiring two hip surgical procedures.
Goodyear needs to see the province draft harder guidelines for individuals who use such gadgets.
“They can go way too fast, they can go anywhere they want,” she stated. “There needs to be some sort of legislation to limit their access to people … some sort of driver’s-ed or licence necessary in order to be able to run one.”
The one who struck Goodyear apologized afterwards, however will not be going through any penalty.
British Columbia does have rules in place governing using electrical scooters, below a pilot venture launched in 2021.
Eight B.C. municipalities, together with Vancouver, have signed on to the pilot and drafted bylaws governing their use. It is at present unlawful to function an e-scooter on the highway in cities that aren’t part of the pilot and don’t have bylaws.
Under Vancouver’s bylaw, e-scooters should obey a velocity restrict of 24 km/h, and should not have motors with energy output exceeding 500W. Scooters will need to have a braking system, and riders have to be not less than 16 years previous, use lights after darkish and keep off sidewalks. The pilot additionally requires riders to stay to minor roads and guarded bike lanes.
“Our officers do have authority to stop people on e-scooters, especially if they are behaving in erratic or unsafe ways,” Vancouver police Const. Tania Visintin stated, including that e-scooters are primarily handled like cyclists. “But first and foremost our goal is education and providing information to those riding scooters all the rules of the road and how to stay safe.”
Goodyear, for her half, needs to see a harder stance — each in terms of regulation, and to enforcement.
“I’ve seen like 12 year olds zooming around on the Lonsdale Street on an electric scooter and electric bikes, and they don’t care,” she stated. “People will not take the responsibility unless they know it’s going to be enforced.”
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
