Bolt have announced the introduction of a first-of-its-kind tandem riding prevention system, currently live in Berlin and soon to be rolled out everywhere.
Riding in tandem, whereby more than one person stands on the scooter, is deemed to be an unsafe way of riding a scooter, and is thus prohibited in Bolt’s General Riding Rules. However, tandem riding remains a frequent cause of accidents, causing 5.12% of all accidents recorded by Bolt.
In addition to the tandem riding prevention, Bolt are also rolling out a cognitive reaction test to prevent intoxicated riding and are testing a skid braking prevention system to significantly improve industry safety standards.
The Cognitive Reaction Test, designed to combat intoxicated riding, has already been launched in 14 cities and is gradually being rolled out everywhere in Europe. The app asks the potential rider to react to different instructions on the screen during times when riding under the influence is likely to happen. The test measures the cognitive reaction time before allowing the user to ride a scooter.
The Skid Braking Prevention System is designed to prevent riders from dangerous riding behaviours, like fast riding and drifting. The system detects when the back wheel of a scooter gets locked due to rapid braking, and the rider is then warned through the app with a push notification. This feature is currently being tested in Berlin.
Dmitri Pivovarov, VP for Rentals in Bolt, said:We are more than micromobility providers. We want to be partners for cities and communities. This is why we have decided to take on the most pressing safety challenges in the scooter industry: tandem riding, drunk riding and skidding.
Bolt is the first scooter operator to build an in-app functionality that can detect and discourage tandem riding.
The technology is based on the Bolt 4 scooter’s built-in accelerometer, designed to measure the scooter’s acceleration rate. The hardware can detect sudden changes in mass, which accurately signals several people riding a single scooter. Once the app detects tandem riding, the user is sent a push notification on the app.
Bolt have applied for a patent with the European Patent Office that will cover 154 countries.
This article was originally published by Bolt.
