Reckless Rider Score: results from Brussels, Lisbon, and Berlin

In March 2023, we introduced the Reckless Rider Score with its 3-strike approach to improve the safety of scooter riders and other road users by promoting responsible riding habits.

And in this blog post, we’re excited to share the first results from Brussels, Lisbon, and Berlin.

A recap: what’s reckless riding, and how many reckless riders are there?

We define reckless e-scooter riding as being inconsiderate to other road users, pedestrians, and motorists, not following traffic rules, and practising careless scooter riding and parking.

It’s safe to say that the overwhelming majority of Bolt riders use scooters responsibly, but there are 2% who repeatedly demonstrate unsafe behaviour. 

If a rider makes at least 5 Bolt scooter rides, we’ll evaluate their riding to ensure their trips are safe for all.

The Reckless Rider Score considers dozens of inputs, including tandem riding, improper scooter parking, falls/collisions, and repeated abrupt braking and skidding. 

/Image 1. Reckless riding behaviour explained/

3-step disciplinary approach

We know that education goes a long way in correcting reckless riding behaviour. Thus, an iterative 3-step disciplinary approach has been appropriate.

If, during their 5 rides, a rider falls short of responsible scooter usage, we’ll take action according to our 3-strike policy: 

1. A rider receives in-app educational materials explaining what riding habits they should improve.
2. If a rider doesn’t improve their habits during the 5 subsequent rides after receiving educational materials, their maximum scooter speed is limited to 15 km/h.*
3. If riding behaviour remains unsafe for the 5 rides following step 2, we’ll suspend the rider from using Bolt scooters for 1 week, with an option to dispute the decision through Customer Support.

*This step may be implemented differently based on local rules and regulations.

/Image 2. The Reckless Rider Score three-step disciplinary approach/ 

Riders who improve their habits and continue following Bolt’s Terms & Conditions can ride normally, without any conditions. 

You can find more information about the feature and how it came about in this blog post.

An immediate 26% reduction in reckless riding

We’ve been rolling out the Reckless Rider Score feature across various European countries, where we offer micromobility services. 

And after analysing the behaviour of users who received strikes in Brussels, Lisbon, and Berlin between 1 April 2023 and 31 May 2023, we discovered the following:

• The first warning led to a 26% reduction in reckless riding over the next 3 days and an 18% drop over 7 days.
• There were 25% fewer incidences of abrupt braking and 18% fewer incidences of skidding.
• We observed a similar effect for other strikes.

These results show that applying an escalating penalty system is an effective way of influencing user behaviour.

Bringing the most value to cities and people

The Reckless Rider Score is merely 1 of many safety features our teams are working on to bring value to cities and people. 

Our advanced technology detects all cases of poor parking and irresponsible or tandem riding. This has, and will continue to encourage good riding behaviour.

We also take extensive measures to educate riders, including online and offline marketing initiatives, safety courses, and encouraging customers to wear helmets.

We’re proud to say that 99.997% of scooter rides ended safely without incident, while 99.995% of e-bike rides were incident-free.

If you’d like to know more about our safety features and initiatives, read our 2023 Bolt Rentals Safety Report.