Spin, Ford Motor Company’s micromobility unit, has launched a £100,000 research fund to analyse e-scooter travel behaviour and the challenges of integrating them into city infrastructures.
Over the next 12 months the investment will go toward independent research from 10 leading universities and international mobility ecosystems.
Spin said the results of the studies will provide best practices to be shared with UK stakeholders involved in the current e-scooter trials to ensure safety for all road users.
Josh Johnson, public policy manager at Spin, said: “The willingness to share independent research and learnings about the adoption of e-scooters with key stakeholders has become less of a priority for operators and this needs to change.”
Data from the current Spin trial in Milton Keynes will inform the first study with researchers using data from surveys, GPS and on-street AI and IoT sensor data. It will look at e-scooter interactions with pedestrians, cyclists and cars captured by Vivacity Lab’s sensors that are installed in the city.
According to Spin, the study will examine near-miss incidents and analyse movement patterns of vulnerable road-users such as cyclists and pedestrians.
Furthermore, it will survey non-connected vehicles to help assess why near-misses may happen and what could be done to minimise them. Recommendations will then be provided on how local authorities and operators could encourage riders toward safer use of e-scooters.
Johnson added: “Our top priority has always been rider safety. All operators have a responsibility to their riders to not only exceed vehicle safety standards but provide a platform to educate riders on safety best practices and how to be mindful of pedestrians and other road users.”
