Lime scooter bug sees riders injured after 'sudden excessive braking'
If there's one thing you don't want while you're cruising downhill on a scooter, it's sudden braking.
Lime has rolled out firmware updates after the detection of a bug within its fleet of electric scooters, which "under rare circumstances could cause sudden excessive braking."
SEE ALSO:Yup, e-scooters are dangerous, study confirms – especially since nobody wears helmetsAccording to a company blog post, Lime commissioned "extensive analysis" of the problem by its internal team and other experts, and found that although the issue was rare, it was indeed happening.
"We diagnosed the issue in a laboratory environment and determined that in very rare cases — usually riding downhill at top speed while hitting a pothole or other obstacle — excessive brake force on the front wheel can occur, resulting in a scooter stopping unexpectedly," read its statement, published Feb. 23.
Lime noted the issue affected less than 0.0045 percent of all rides, but confirmed that "some riders have been injured, and, although most have been bumps and bruises, any injury is one too many."
The company said it has developed updates for the firmware, some of which have already been rolled out, and that the company is "confident in their efficacy."
"A final update is now being dispatched to every Lime scooter in the market and will be complete shortly," the post added.
"We are also proactively working with consumer protection agencies around the world to ensure we meet their rigorous safety expectations."
If you're thinking of riding, Lime recommended doing a visual inspection of the scooter you're about to hop on to make sure the hardware looks in good condition, and report it to customer service if not.
Once you're off and away, Lime said to give the brake a good squeeze, and if it doesn't work, hop off the scooter, end the trip, and report the issue. If it does work, Lime recommends not going full speed when going downhill, as that seemed to be the circumstance when most "sudden excessive braking" has occurred.
Some countries aren't satisfied with Lime's solution, however. One South Australian lawmaker asked for a halt to the trial in Adelaide following a braking incident, while New Zealand councils implemented a ban on the scooters due to safety concerns related to the braking issues.
Lime had reportedly advised Auckland Council of 155 reported incidents in the country involved "irregular braking" possibly "caused by the unexpected locking issue," with 30 of these leading to injury.
According to the New Zealand Herald, 1,300 scooter-related injuries have been reported since their introduction to the country in Oct. 2018. That seems a particularly high number for New Zealand, as a study by the Consumer Reports watchdog indicated that 1,500 scooter related incidents have occurred in the U.S. since late 2017, when Lime launched and rival company Bird was founded.
Be safe out there, riders.
Featured Video For You
Turn heads with this self-balancing scooter that boasts some serious wheels — Future Blink
相关文章
“精致小春姐”顾春芳:华丽白西装、镶钻水晶拖鞋,带来新兴凉果No.1
“精致小春姐”顾春芳:华丽白西装、镶钻水晶拖鞋,带来新兴凉果No.1_南方+_南方plus“欢迎收听广东‘讲错’电台编外节目之广东省第一届农事运动会乡村直播大赛......”来自云浮市新兴县的村播“精2024-09-22- 20个项目晋级广东省第三届农村创业大赛总决赛_南方+_南方plus10月22日,以“挖掘农业农村资源 做好乡村休闲产业”为主题的“建行杯”广东省第三届农村创业大赛启动仪式暨半决赛在广州市举行,经过激烈2024-09-22
UN grants 5 sanctions exemptions for Pyongyang humanitarian outreach
This October 2015 photo, taken by a World Food Programme official, shows North Korean children at a2024-09-22Coldest day of season grips S. Korea on last day of Lunar New Year holiday
Snowstorim hits the road near Jeju International Airport, in the southern Jeju Islandon, Tuesday. (Y2024-09-22'Please find her': Man dies amid 25
Song Gil-yong speaks during a public campaign dedicated to finding his missing daughter, Hye-hee, in2024-09-22- 近段时间来,石棉县普降大到暴雨。石棉县人民检察院联系的美罗镇出现多处灾情。8月18日,由石棉县检察院负责人带队,与4名副检察长、10余名青年检察人员来到美罗镇防汛救灾一线,协助开展抗洪救灾工作。一行人2024-09-22
最新评论