Majorstuen, Electric scooter | Birgitta: – I had enough to think that this is going to be very painful

(The online newspaper) – This is not about me and it is not my fault either. I just want to tell you how little is needed before things can go really wrong, says Birgitta Strobel from Majorstuen.

Two years ago, she was on her way to meet a friend when, to save time, she spontaneously rented one

She kept a low speed and herself felt that she was doing everything right to avoid dangerous situations.

– It only took one small stone for it to go really wrong. The wheel swung the other way and suddenly I hit the ground. I had enough time to think that this is going to be very painful, says Strobel.

The impact gave her a concussion and the entire right side of her body was badly bruised.

– The collarbone broke in two and the right shoulder hung down on the chest.

Read also: The city council is considering more electric scooters in the city. Also open for night driving

Two painful years

The crash would prove to give Strobel some painful years. A pain that wasn’t worth the spontaneous drive she took to save time.

– I first had to go to the emergency room and then to the Deacon Home to operate.

During the operation, a titanium plate with metal screws was drilled into the bone stumps of her collarbone. This would hold the bone parts in place so they could grow together in the broken shoulder.

– It has been two extremely painful years with head, neck and shoulder pain, even after the plate was removed after a year, she says.

After a year with a plate and screws in the shoulder, it was time for a new operation at the Diakonhjemmet.

“Finally, it was to be operated on, and a new round of weekly training with a physiotherapist began,” explains Strobel.

Even to this day, it is difficult to use the right arm, which goes beyond work. She can only work on the PC in short intervals.

As a yoga teacher and artist for many years, she has had to find ways to live with the tendon injuries.

Requested errors

– It was my own fault that I didn’t wear a helmet so I got a concussion, but regardless of whether I had worn a helmet or not, I had broken my collarbone the day I fell.

She wishes there was a general helmet requirement, but she can still understand that few wear a helmet when an electric scooter ride in the city is for many an act of impulse.

As it was for her on April 2022.

– You don’t pack a bicycle helmet in your bag or in your PC folder in the morning. Also, I think the small collapsible rubber helmets on some of the rental electric scooters have the same effect as grandma’s bathing cap. What are they supposed to be good for? They have no effect.

Strobel tried to get an answer from whether the electric scooter was actually drivable on the day she rented it, as it only took a small pebble to topple it over.

– I didn’t have maximum speed and I didn’t drive into a pothole or get stuck in the track of a tram track. It was only a pebble. It shows that you have less control than you think, no matter how well balanced you are, she says.

According to Strobel, Tier denied there was a problem with the scooter and their insurance company in Stockholm admitted the following no compensation.

Checks the vehicle thoroughly

– When an accident is reported, we always do a thorough review of the electric scooter that was involved in the accident, writes Dan Nerén, responsible for the regulations in Tier Mobility in an e-mail to Nettavisen.

They do this to identify and correct any errors, but also for insurance reasons. According to Nerén, the electric scooters are insured against traffic accidents and have insurance cover for both users and third parties.

– Our employees carry out regular checks of our vehicles to ensure that they are in road-safe condition. Any defective vehicles are immediately taken out of service, picked up and repaired by our service technicians, Nerén writes further.

More robust

As Tier denied that there was anything wrong with the electric scooter Strobel rented in 2022, she now questions the construction of the vehicle itself.

– If this vehicle is here to stay, and there is not a general helmet requirement, I wonder what can be done to prevent accidents. I think larger wheels should be made that can withstand more than a pebble, says Strobel.

In the e-mail from Tier, Nerén writes that in the last five years the company has been at the forefront of the development of electric scooters.

– Our latest models of electric scooters are significantly more robust and safer than their predecessors. They have larger wheels, a more stable standing platform, shock absorption, dual braking systems, lighting, reflectors and turn signals.

Reduced accident risk

Nerén also believes that their app contains information that encourages all users to follow traffic rules, park correctly and wear a helmet.

– The foldable helmet we offer is safety approved and an excellent alternative for those who do not bring their own helmet. Unfortunately, we see that these helmets are not used as often as we would like, writes Nerén.

Nevertheless, it remains increasingly safer. This is shown by a recently published study carried out by as Nerén refers to.

– The study shows that it is because of the cooperation between the industry, cities and authorities. The risk of accidents with shared electric scooters has been reduced by 26 per cent in Europe, explains Nerén.

At the same time, the study shows that almost 80 per cent of fatal accidents among cyclists and e-bike riders involve motor vehicles, which underlines the need for safe infrastructure for light road users and reduced speed limits for motorized vehicles.

Strobel is still surprised that such an electric scooter could not withstand more before the rear wheel spun to the side and she lost her balance.

– Tier’s insurance scheme therefore did not cover me when it was claimed that the scooter was not damaged in the rear wheel.

She feels completely done with electric scooters.

– I know several people who have had their jaws, shoulders and legs broken, and permanent head damage, she says.