E-scooters could all be given the same distinctive sound to warn pedestrians

Researchers at London's UCL working with operators to develop alert

Research into a new alarm comes after concerns were raised by charitable organisations following a number of collisions. Getty Images

E-scooters could be fitted with the same universal alert sound to warn pedestrians of their presence in a bid to improve safety.

Researchers at London's UCL are working with operators TIER, Lime and Dott to develop the alarm.

It follows concerns raised by charitable organisations after a number of collisions.

The latest data from the Department of Transport reveal there were 882 accidents in the UK involving e-scooters in the 12 months to June 2021, resulting in 931 casualties and three deaths.

Half of the incidents happened in London.

The research is being conducted in UCL’s specialist Person-Environment-Activity Research Laboratory (Pearl) and will be tested by operators in London later this year.

Small speakers, similar to those in mobile phones, will be fitted to the scooters.

“This is an exciting project to work on to ensure that people with a range of different capabilities can know when an e-scooter is nearby and how it is moving, enabling them to comfortably and safely move around the urban environment,” said Nick Tyler, director of UCL's Pearl.

“Through studying how the human hearing system has evolved, we can create sounds for e-scooters that are detectable without adding more noise to the environment.

“We plan to test a range of combinations of sounds and environments at UCL Pearl with people who are less likely to detect e-scooters nearby, so that we create a sound that works for all. It is a huge scientific challenge, but one that will enable everyone to feel comfortable with this new form of micromobility that is quickly growing in popularity.”

The sound will take into account the needs of those with sight loss, hearing loss and neurodiverse conditions.

It will be tested at the Pearl research facility, which can simulate different city environments, before testing it on the street to ensure it works in real-world settings.

“As we work to offer more sustainable transport for people to get around their cities, it’s crucial that we consider the needs of riders and non-riders alike,” said Duncan Robertson, general manager at Dott.

“This project builds upon our existing research with the University of Salford to refine audible options and test in a virtual environment.

“By working with our partner operators, we are bringing together our collective insights to help find a solution which we hope will become consistent across the industry, and therefore as simple as possible for other road users and pedestrians to understand.”

UK charity the Thomas Pocklington Trust, which supports blind and partially sighted people, is also working on the initiative.

“It’s vital transport works for everyone, and is safe and inclusive for those with different needs,” said Mike Bell, national public affairs lead at the trust.

“Introducing a clear, recognisable sound to e-scooters will help protect blind and partially sighted people and other potentially vulnerable road users by helping them to detect when a vehicle is approaching.

“We want to make sure this sound is effective in real city environments, and so we are thrilled to be working closely with UCL and TIER as it is developed and rolled out, to help make a real difference to visually impaired people in London and across the country.”

Operator Lime launched e-scooters in Abu Dhabi two years ago and is also contributing to the project.

“Lime is proud to be leading the way in developing e-scooter services which are safer, more accessible and better integrated with other users of urban space,” Alan Clarke, director of policy at Lime, said.

“This project builds on our existing work with Lime’s independent disability advisory board to research how audio-alerts can improve the safe integration of e-scooters into cities.

“As a business operating across five continents, Lime is uniquely placed to bring together work happening around the world to design e-scooter services which are more inclusive. We look forward to feeding outcomes from this project into that global effort, as well as here in the UK.”

This year, Lime introduced a GPS system in its e-scooters in Switzerland that automatically slows them down to walking pace in pedestrian zones.