NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — One scooter company is testing new technology to crack down on unsafe riding in Nashville, which includes speeding down sidewalks and having two riders on a scooter.

This is a pilot program from a scooter company called Spin. Nashville is the first city to try it.

"We were trying to get from point a to point b a lot faster because there is a lot of walking here," Hannah Snyder, who lives in Nashville, explained.

Scooters and e-bikes have become popular ways of getting around, but the fast growth of these vehicles has raised safety concerns.

"They go really fast," Snyder said.

"Things that involve sidewalk riding, parking improperly — these are concerns that continue to come up, and we don't want to be blind to that," Head of Government Partnership (Central Region) for Spin, Jimmy Gilman, explained. "We want to make sure that we're doing something."

Spin launched the personalized rider score. Riders start with five stars. The app then tracks rider behavior, including:

• Frequency of sidewalk riding
• Double riding
• Entering no-ride zones
• Helmet usage
• Instances of abrupt braking or reckless driving
• Repeated parking violations

"Y'all know if you take an Uber or Lyft after each ride, you have a score; it is emulating that same type of idea," Gilman said. "...The first step will be [that] when someone has taken at least two trips, we start to give them targeted warnings ... Fifty percent of folks will get that. Fifty percent won't, and we are measuring the difference."

If a rider's score drops below four stars, they can receive warnings, fines, suspensions or have their account shut down.

"If someone is here visiting and using this instead of a car trip, we see that as a good thing for less congestion," Gilman expressed.

One previous scooter rider told News 2 that she appreciates the affordability of having two people on the scooter but understands the risks.

"Thinking of the money, it's efficient to do two [riders per scooter] but feeling how I felt on the scooter and then how fast it was going and how scary it was, honestly, I would never get on with somebody else," Snyder said.

"As long as people use them intelligently and are aware of the other people, I think everything is good," tourist Jerry Higgins said.

If you hop on an e-bike or scooter, residents and tourists say safety starts with awareness.

"Pay as close attention as possible because people come out of nowhere. Cars come out of nowhere," Snyder said.

"Know what you are doing and wear a helmet," Higgins said.

Spin plans to collect data for about three months and may continue into another season.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville/pilot-crackdown-unsafe-scooter-riding/