Electric ride-share scooters became popular after their introduction to campus in 2018.
(Cali Lichter)
An IU freshman became the first e-scooter death on campus last month. A police report was issued by the IU Police Department but the university has not made an official comment.
An 18-year-old freshman from Minneapolis was the victim. He was a direct admit to the Kelley School of Business.
At around 2 a.m. Aug. 18, IUPD was dispatched to the intersection of East Tenth Street and North Eagleson Avenue.West of the intersection, officers located the student on the north sidewalk. Multiple citizens were there attempting to provide first aid, according to IUPD. The student had suffered a head injury and later passed away at an Indianapolis hospital.
IU spokesperson Chuck Carney and the IU Dean of Students office directed requests for more information to the IUPD. An IUPD spokesperson said the department would have no further comment aside from the report.
The history of e-scooters
Motorized scooters are nothing new. The first mass-produced electric scooter was invented in 1996, with the modern wave of e-scooters starting in the late 2000s.
Two of the most popular e-scooter brands, Bird and Lime, introduced dockless electric kick scooters in 2017. By 2018, their services arrived on campus. According to CB Insights, the global scooter market is expected to be valued at $300 billion-$500 billion by 2030.
Ride-share e-scooters (and the counterpart e-bike) have been praised for their ease of use, especially in larger cities. Riders simply open the app, scan a QR code, and ride. Most scooters go up to 15 miles per hour.
Rides are also relatively cheap. An average Bird scooter ride is 15 cents per minute. For a 15-minute trip plus a small unlocking fee, a rider pays about $3.25. Short rides are usually cheaper than an Uber. Uber bought Lime in 2020.
Services such as Lime and Bird are loosely regulated. Riders rely on local rules and regulations for safety. The app may tell riders to wear helmets, but enforcement is up to local authorities.
In 2018, the public health and transportation departments in Austin, Texas, in association with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calculated that 20 out of 100,000 individuals were injured in e-scooter trips taken during a three-month period. Of the injured riders, almost half sustained head injuries, and 15 experienced traumatic brain injuries. Only one of 190 injured scooter riders was wearing a helmet.
E-scooter user agreements
Even though IUPD would not release the brand of e-scooter, every e-scooter app makes users agree to its terms and conditions before they ride. By riding the e-scooter, users agree to a waiver and release of claims. For instance, article 2 subsection B of Lime’s terms of service states:
By using our Services, you, on behalf of yourself, your personal representatives and your heirs, hereby EXPRESSLY AGREE TO ASSUME ALL RISKS AND ACCEPT ALL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY ACCIDENT, PERSONAL INJURY, PROPERTY DAMAGE, DEATH OR DISABILITY THAT YOU MAY SUFFER AS A RESULT OF USING THE SERVICES/PRODUCTS for any such injuries, losses, and/or damages, including those caused solely or in part by the negligence or omission of Lime and the Released Parties.
In addition, these companies include “ride at your own risk” statements and prohibit the use of their services while under the influence of “alcohol, drugs, medication, or other substance that may impair your ability to safely operate the vehicle,” as stated in the Veo User Agreement. In this local death, the student had alcohol in his system at the time of the crash. IU does promote IU Ride and the IU Guardian app for safe walking as alternatives to intoxicated scootering.
Scooter injuries in Bloomington
This wasn’t the first major e-scooter accident on the Bloomington campus. In October 2018, an IU student was hospitalized after suffering a head injury in an e-scooter crash. At the time, the University clarified existing rules for e-scooters instead of creating new regulations.
That incident came a month after the transportation devices came to campus. By December of that year, university leaders said at least 50 students had gone to the campus’ health center for e-scooter injuries. Yet many cases go unreported.
The City of Bloomington does have a website to report “Scooters, Bike-share and Related Issues.” Many of the reports are from residents who want the city to pick up a scooter that is in a ditch or was placed in the middle of a sidewalk. But reports of injury are few.
The University does not have a system that reports e-scooter related injuries publicly.
Correction: A previous version of this story indicated that IU spokesperson Chuck Carney and the IU Dean of Students office did not respond to a request for comment instead of being directed to IUPD. The mistake has been corrected.
