LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — In the week since hundreds of e-scooters became available in Lexington, they already seem to be popular.
Companies Spin Electric Scooters and Lime Electric Scooter Rental recently launched downtown, offering riders an alternative to walking, biking, or even driving.
Riders like University of Kentucky student George Foster have begun to use the scooters regularly.
"I go to class on them. I go to the store on them. I come visit my friends on them," Foster said.
Plus, he said, they're a lot of fun.
"It's a great time," he said. "Highly highly recommend it. It's so much fun, you get the wind blowing in your hair."
But Foster had concerns about riding on some roads.
"Maxwell is a pretty scary road because cars don't care and i'm in the bike lane and they just blow past me," he said.
He's heard from friends who have gotten minor injuries on the scooters, he said, and he tries to stay alert while riding.
On Saturday, police reported a man had been hit by a car while riding an e-scooter just before 2:30 a.m. The man was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, according to police, and the driver of the car was arrested for DUI.
Both e-scooter companies have stressed road safety since launching. Each has a part of its website dedicated to safety that details the need to wear a helmet, follow traffic laws and stay off sidewalks.
Lime's safety page can be found here: https://www.li.me/how-to-lime
Spin's safety page can be found here: https://www.spin.app/safety
