Due to their higher speeds and an increase in injuries, CR no longer recommends any e-scooters.
WASHINGTON, DC — After testing 13 electric scooters available for consumers to purchase, Consumer Reports found safety risks serious enough that it does not currently recommend any model. Rising injuries reflect the real risks of e-scooters, whose high speeds, standing riding position, and small wheels make them more dangerous than many riders realize.
One reason CR’s testing found serious safety problems: In the U.S., there is no safety standard specifically for adult e-scooters sold to consumers. The Consumer Product Safety Commission hasn’t issued federal rules, and there’s no comprehensive voluntary standard from either the e-mobility industry or from independent standards development organizations.
“Consumers simply cannot trust that manufacturers are putting safety first as long as e-scooters come with such glaring hazards,” said William Wallace, CR’s director of safety advocacy. “If this industry is going to help reduce injuries, they need to agree on a set of strong baseline standards to make sure all e-scooters are designed and built to be safe.”
Currently, safety standards exist in the U.S. for youth e-scooters, shared commercial e-scooters, and the battery and electrical system of these products—but there is a gap in the standards when it comes to the risk of injury from riding an adult e-scooter available for purchase by consumers.
CR is urging manufacturers, standards bodies, and regulators to address this gap—and welcomes the chance to collaborate with industry, safety organizations, and policymakers to make e-scooters safer.
CR recognizes that e-scooters are increasingly popular, and many people ride them. If you choose to ride an e-scooter, learn how to ride as safely as possible. Read CR’s full testing and findings.
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Media Contact: Emily Akpan, emily.akpan@consumer.org