Speed bump! The big change coming to Lime Scooters after a man, 50, dies and others are injured in a spate of horrific crashes
- Queensland may slash the 25km/h speed limit of e-scooters
- The speed limit of Lime Scooters is under review following many accidents
- South Australia is trialling a 15 km/h scooter speed limit
- Limits are being reviewed following the death of 50-year-old male rider
The currrent 25km/h speed limit of Lime Scooters in Queensland may be slashed by the State Government.
Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the government was reviewing the speed of the electric scooters following a number of accidents, including one death.
A 50-year-old rider died in hospital after crashing down a set of stairs at Brisbane's South Bank on May 8.
In February, Jordan Madigan, 26, had his heel ripped open after the Lime scooter he was using to ride to work seized up and threw him off.
Mr Bailey noted Adelaide had already has implemented a trial, which reduced the scooter's speed limit to just 15 km/h.
The currrent 25km/h speed limit of Lime Scooters may be slashed by the Queensland Government
'Given that this is still a a very new way of moving, we're looking at other jurisdictions and how they do it,' Mr Bailey said.
'If we can make improvements to safety, we will.'
Share this article
The 50-year-old suffered traumatic head injuries and went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics revived the man but he died in hospital the following day.
Investigators are still trying to confirm whether his heart attack was a result of his fall and injuries.
The city council, which is currently in the middle of a tender process that could see a second scooter company licensed to operate in Brisbane, is waiting on the results of a investigation into the death.
'The information that we receive from that investigation will help us, going forward, to make a decision on e-scooters,' Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said.
'Obviously anything that comes out of this investigation is something we'll take very seriously.'
Mr Madigan was forced to get stitches after the ordeal and needed antibiotics and crutches for a few days, after his heel was torn off.
Brisbane man Dylan Pires (pictured) suffered horrific facial injuries after the hire Lime scooter he was riding suddenly locked up
Last month, Brisbane man Dylan Pires suffered horrific facial injuries after the hire Lime scooter he was riding suddenly locked up.
He had been riding to a supermarket during his work break when he was sent flying over the scooter's handlebars and hit the pavement.
Mr Pires, who was not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident, woke up in hospital suffering a broken nose, broken cheek, fractured sinus and stitches to his forehead.
He also needed to have pins inserted in his cheeks as a result of the incident.
At the time a spokesperson for Lime said it had not been confirmed the incident was caused because the scooter wheels locked.
The scooter threw him off so suddenly that it whipped around and struck his foot - which was enclosed in sneakers - so hard that it tore the skin right off.
Jordan Madigan (pictured), 26, had his heel ripped open after the Lime scooter he was using to ride to work seized up and threw him off
Safety advocates have urged for Brisbane City Council to ban the scooters immediately or else more people may die.
The Pedestrian Council of Australia said the death of a rider shows how dangerous they are.
The group's chief Harold Scruby said riders on footpaths are ducking and weaving among pedestrians at 25km/h, and the risks cannot be safely managed.
'A man has now died. What more evidence do you need that these things have got to be banned,' he told the ABC.
'France is just banning all scooters on all footpaths, only last week. From September in LA, where they invented the things, you cannot ride a scooter on a footpath.'
Mr Bailey noted Adelaide had already has implemented a trial, which reduced the scooter's speed limit to just 15 km/h
Lime insists its scooters are safe, despite the ambulance service revealing 80 people wound up in hospital over a two-month period as a result of scooter incidents. Of those, 12 needed surgery.
Company spokesman Mitchell Price said a scooter malfunction had been ruled out as a factor in the man's death.
He attacked Mr Scruby for his 'insensitive and inappropriate' comments about scooter safety, saying the focus should be on caring for the dead man's family.
'Lime scooters are safe,' Mr Price said.
'It is far too early for us to be changing anything, to be commenting on this accident that has happened.'
Mr Scruby said anyone who tried to take a walk through Brisbane would beg to differ with scooter riders - often without helmets and doubling other people - risking people's safety.
He wants Lime scooters off the streets but is open to the idea of a 10km/h speed limit, something backed by Vision Australia amid concerns for the vision impaired.
Mr Bailey has urged for all riders to use their common sense and adhere to road rules, while the speed limit is under review.
Safety advocates have urged for Brisbane City Council to ban the scooters immediately or else more people may die
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
