May 10, 2024
80% of serious accidents involving cyclists and scooter riders happen because of motor vehicles. So, to improve rider safety even further, we’ve partnered with Flare Aware.
Flare Aware is traffic safety technology that warns car drivers about nearby vulnerable road users.
Thanks to the integration, drivers using the Flare Aware app or navigation systems integrated with Flare Aware receive notifications about nearby Bolt scooters or e-bikes.
So, when you ride a Bolt scooter or e-bike, drivers with Flare Aware will see you on a map and get alerts when you’re nearby. This helps drivers give you more space and avoid collisions.
The solution’s currently available in Ireland, with more markets to be launched soon.
Accidents involving scooters/e-bikes are extremely rare. In 2022, 99.997% of Bolt scooter and 99.995% of e-bike rides ended safely without incident. When accidents do happen, however, it’s usually motor vehicles that cause them.
Motor vehicles are involved in about 80% of crashes that result in the death of bicycle or e-scooter riders. So, to guarantee the safety of scooter and e-bike riders, the focus must be on cars.
Cars and trucks pose a risk for scooter and bike riders due to blind spots. These can lead to situations where a driver can’t see a rider in close proximity. And thus can’t adjust their speed in time to avoid a collision.
In Brussels, the number of accidents involving scooters dropped 29% between 2022 and 2023 after the city expanded its 30 km/h low-speed zone for cars.
Dmitri Pivovarov, VP for Rentals at Bolt, said: “At Bolt, scooter and e-bike safety is our top priority, and we continue to invest in micromobility safety features and integrations like this to help support even safer scooter riding.
Partnering with Flare Aware builds on our existing in-house developed safety features like our tandem riding prevention system, cognitive reaction test, and reckless rider score. It reflects our shared value of raising the bar further for scooter and e-bike safety.”
Richard Thorpe, Head of OEM & Emerging Markets at Microlise Group, said: “Navigating today’s roads safely requires innovation, collaboration, and a deep commitment to protecting every user, especially those most vulnerable.
Our partnership with Bolt represents a significant leap forward in using cutting-edge technology to enhance visibility and safety for scooter and e-bike riders.
By integrating Flare Aware’s proactive alert system with Bolt’s GPS technology, we’re setting new standards in preventing accidents and ensuring safer journeys for everyone.”
As our VP revealed in his comment, this partnership extends our existing safety features — tandem riding prevention system, cognitive reaction test, and reckless rider score. Here’s an overview of these features.
Tandem riding (2 people riding 1 scooter) and the lack of stability and control during tandem rides can result in accidents, injuries, and vehicle damage. Our Tandem Riding Prevention System is an in-app functionality that detects and discourages tandem riding.
The Tandem Riding Prevention System caused a decrease in tandem riding by almost 30% in Düsseldoft, Germany alone!
The cognitive reaction test is another in-app feature that evaluates whether a rider is sober and can ride a scooter.
In a nutshell, during specific timeframes (on weekends and during major celebrations), Bolt users are requested to pass a ‘cognitive reaction test’ before they can ride a scooter. If they don’t, they’re encouraged to request a Bolt ride-hailing trip instead.
Reckless Rider Score is a 3-strike policy based on data picked up by scooter sensors and features on behaviours such as tandem riding, repeated abrupt braking, skidding, and poor parking.
The initial results of the Reckless Rider Score in Brussels, Lisbon, and Berlin between 1 April 2023 and 31 May 2023 show that the first warning led to an immediate 26% reduction in reckless riding.
We’re continuously building on our safety measures to keep all road users safe. Stay tuned. Stay safe. Ride with Bolt!
