Florida Electric Scooter Laws

E-scooters are gaining ground in South Florida

Electric scooters have become wildly popular in South Florida. Our warm climate is ideally suited to year-round e-scooter use.

E-scooters were first a novelty and then many began to find them annoying: the darting electric scooters have startled and sometimes scared South Florida pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.

Electric scooters travel up to 20 miles per hour and can carry passengers, including children, who stand on the floorboard with the driver.

Many people don’t have experience operating or riding on e-scooters, adding to e-scooter’s erratic zipping and zapping in traffic.

New Florida law will treat e-scooter riders like bicycle riders

Florida’s Governor DeSantis recently signed HB 453. Under this new legislation, e-scooter riders have “all rights and duties applicable to the rider of a bicycle,” including the use of streets and bike lanes.

Cities and municipalities can still place some restrictions on e-scooter use, such a keeping some sidewalks and streets scooter free, and regulating where and how the scooters can be parked.

In sum, HB 453 will take some e-scooter riders off sidewalks and put them on the streets with bicyclists and cars.

See the potential danger here?

E-scooter proponents cite the scooter’s easy and affordable availability, and the ease of taking short trips without getting into a car. They also point to reducing city traffic congestion and pollution from car emissions.

But what about Florida’s pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists?

Particularly in the populated areas of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, e-scooters add to the already dangerous mix of crowded roads and never-ending construction.

E-scooter riders in South Florida are getting injured

A South Florida Sun Sentinel review of Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue records found that 74 scooter riders were in accidents from December 2018 through April 2019.

57 of the accidents required a trip to the hospital, with ten suffering severe injuries. One victim died as a result of e-scooter injuries. Another has been in a vegetative state since late December 2018. Other states besides Florida are also reporting increased accident rates.

What can you do to protect yourself from an e-scooter accident?

• If you’re driving an e-scooter, remember that most scooter accidents occur at night, and during the weekend. Exercise extra caution and care after dark, and especially so on weekends. Think of an e-scooter as any other type of machinery, and don’t use under the influence.
• Pedestrians, bicyclists or motorist in e-scooter traffic must also exercise abundant caution. Give e-scooters a wide berth, even if it means slowing down considerably: e-scooters can and do weave in and out of traffic.

What should you do if you’re in an accident?

If you’re hurt, call emergency medical services. But don’t assume that you’re not hurt just because you don’t need an ambulance. Many injuries don’t manifest until well after the accident.

Call Matthew Waring at Waring Law if you’re injured in an accident in Miami Dade, Broward or Palm Beach County.

Matthew Waring has been on both sides of an accident: from winning for a client the compensation they deserve to being in an accident and feeling the pain and suffering of accident victims.

Time is important when injured

You can’t afford to wait for the compensation you deserve, yet insurance companies will stall for as long as they can.

Matthew Waring is fighting to get to you your compensation and is At War With Delay.

Matthew Waring is an experienced personal injury attorney who gives his clients his full commitment to getting the compensation they deserve for their injuries.

If you have been injured in an accident in South Florida, call Waring Law today at Tel:(954)-388-0646 for a free consultation.

Matthew Waring’s pledge to you:

• Immediate and personalized attention. You’ll always speak with Matthew directly, and never to a chat bot, a call center operator or even his paralegal. You’ll get answers fast and won’t have to wait for a call back.
• He’ll create a personalized Action Plan tailored to your injuries. There is no standard, “one-size-fits-all” template for Matthew’s clients: each person is unique, and their injuries specific to them alone.
• He will tirelessly work on your behalf.
• There are no fees to you unless Waring Law wins for you.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation.