Female pedestrian and e-scooter rider are recovering in hospital in Long Branch crash. Photo CTV.
Two people were hospitalized after a battery-operated scooter struck a pedestrian in Long Branch.
The rider and female pedestrian were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries just after 10 p.m. on October 8 at Lake Shore Blvd. W. and Twenty-Sixth Street.
The crash follows a call before City Council to regulate e-scooters, e-bikes, e-unicycles and other similar battery-operated devices due to their speed and pedestrians getting injured.
Many pedestrians, pet walkers and others are injured by speeding battery-operated scooters or e-bikes.
An online petition calling for e-scooter, e-bike rules has been signed by about 3,000 concerned residents.
The petition states some of the unregulated scooters and e-bikes can travel faster than provincial speed limits and called on the City to ‘step up and enact robust regulations on the sale and use of electric scooters to ensure the safety of everyone involved.’
The issue is a concern for many who took to social media to voice their concerns.
“So many electric vehicles and bikes are now recklessly zipping along our sidewalks,” wrote Mark Brombacher. “It’s a menace.”
Pedestrians or pet-walkers can be severely injured by the e-vehicles speeding on the sidewalks.
“It’s sad that some idiots have to ruin it for others,” said Christine Maybury. “Hope the pedestrian is okay.”
Jenna May-Damiao said she was walking near Long Branch Avenue and Lake Shore Blvd. W., when they nearly got run over by some high school kids on an e-scooter.
“They (riders) should all have to be licenced,” wrote Joanne Gardiner. “So many drivers of these vehicles have lost their license due to impairment.”
Gabriela Calas is still stunned by seeing a couple riding with as toddler on an e-bike.
There are calls for laws regarding the use of e-bikes, scooters, unicycles and other such devices as pedestrians are being injured.
“I don’t understand how these items are being sold without any regulation and people are allowed to drive them without any license, and means of accountability for their driving,” Calas noted.
She said ‘some riders are reckless, driving on sidewalks as they see fit at speeds that are pretty high and could easily hurt, badly, a pedestrian.’
“The accident risk induced by these scooters also amplifies damage potential,” the petition said. “They (e-bikes, scooters) can cause severe injuries to pedestrians, both adults and children alike and even their pets.“
There are calls for age restrictions for use of the e-devices, introduce mandatory helmet use and speed limit enforcement for electric scooters and e-bikes.