Photo: Voi

Study reveals eight in ten women feel unsafe using e-scooters

18 May 2022

by Christopher Carey

Over three-quarters of women (79 percent) reported not feeling safe using e-scooters in new research from UK non-profit Women in Transport and micromobility firm Voi.

A similar number say that drivers’ and other road users’ attitudes towards e-scooter riders were a barrier to using the micromobility mode, with a further 83 percent saying docking locations can be an obstacle to riding if they are not in safe and useful areas.

The report – Shared e-scooters and gender equity – was presented to an All-Party Parliamentary Group at the UK’s House of Commons this week.

“The gender gap in shared e-scooter use deserves considerable attention from the micromobility sector, and anyone else concerned with gender equity in transport and the urban realm,” said Jo Field, President of Women In Transport.

“We are delighted to have partnered with Voi on this research, and to have helped develop a robust set of recommendations to move the sector forward.

“We urge policy makers and e-scooter operators to closely consider the findings and, crucially, take action based on the recommendations.”

A recent survey of Voi e-scooter users found that just one in three were female – a trend in line with other transport modes, such as bikes.

Five areas

The new research, which was in the form of a questionnaire of nearly 500 women and five focus groups, related not only to Voi but to the micromobility sector as a whole.

Findings from the report have been summarised into five subject areas, which include the perceived benefits and disadvantages of riding shared e-scooters, perceptions of shared e-scooter riders, knowledge and understanding, service design, and perceptions of infrastructure.

Ninety percent of riders surveyed said they were confident using e-scooters by day, but only 64 percent at night.

Responding to the statement “A barrier is that I don’t feel safe on the roads with traffic and general lack of infrastructure,” 79 percent either agreed or strongly agreed.

The report suggested that local authorities and e-scooter operators should collaborate to ensure environments and cultures support night-time safety for women, for example by ensuring that public spaces are sufficiently lit, and providing bystander awareness and education to help prevent violence and harassment of women and girls.

Safe parking

Voi recently launched a new Gender Safe Parking Standard, which will involve the technical assessment of parking locations based on agreed metrics mapped to a number of indicators that are directly related to women’s safety.

Fredrik Hjelm, Co-founder and CEO of Voi Technology, said: “Our overall mission is to create safe, sustainable and reliable micromobility for everyone, and we are committed to taking women’s needs seriously.

“By collaborating closely with cities and governments, we can ensure that measures to address barriers that women may have in enjoying e-scooters and feeling safe in doing so will continue to be addressed, in particular with our new Gender Safe Parking Standard.”

Image: Voi

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