Santa Monica Cracks Down On Bird Scooter Riders

SANTA MONICA, CA – The Santa Monica Police Department is cracking down on electric scooter users, issuing traffic tickets to the city’s 30,000 Bird subscribers. Just last week, cops stopped 196 people riding motorized scooters throughout Santa Monica and issued 92 tickets for various traffic violations including failure to wear a helmet, Lt. Saul Rodriguez with the SMPD told Santa Monica Daily Press.

“They are issuing citations more aggressively,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve done some education. We are still issuing some warnings.”

One Twitter user, Scot Lawrie, says he was issued a $190 ticket for riding without a helmet.

“It’s State law, not a local one,” City Manager Rick Cole tweeted. “And explain to the rider who went to the hospital in serious condition with a head injury two weeks ago that she wouldn’t have been better off with a helmet.”

Cole was referring to a Jan. 10 incident when a Bird rider flew into a moving car at the corner of 6th and Idaho, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. The scooter rider flew through a stop sign when she hit the car, which had the right-of-way, according to the SMPD.

An even bigger problem, according to Los Angeles Times, is the number of underaged riders. According to Bird rules, you have to be 18 to ride the scooters, stay off the sidewalk, and wear a helmet. Often times, kids who look "way younger than 18" hop on the scooters, Los Angeles Times reported. A Bird spokesman told the newspaper that the company has changed its policy and will soon be requiring users to show their driver's license when they create accounts.

In December, just three months after their September launch, the City of Santa Monica filed a criminal complaint against BirdRides, Inc. for operating illegally in the Santa Monica after they repeatedly refused to comply with city citations, according to a City of Santa Monica press release.

"Bird Rides Inc. has a business license to operate a brick-and-mortar administrative office," Santa Monica public information officer Constance Farrell told Los Angeles Times, "but they do not have the appropriate license to operate scooters in an ad hoc manner on the public right of way."

In an attempt to increase safety, Bird has begun giving out free helmets to its users – so far, they've delivered 2,500 free helmets which can be ordered from the "safety" tab in the app, according to Los Angeles Times.

Related >> Santa Monica Sues Scooter Company For Operating Illegally

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