Dott to deploy tech solutions to make e-scooters safer for the visually impaired & other road users in Dublin

Dott, the European micro mobility operator, has announced its intention to deploy newly developed tech solutions as part of its planned roll out in Dublin to make e-scooters safer for the visually impaired and other vulnerable road users.

This will include:

• Pavement detection: Dott has teamed up with cycling tech and data experts See.Sense to integrate pavement detection technology in their e-scooters to cut down on reckless riding and make e-scooters safer for all road users. The See.Sense technology is being trialled by Dott for the first time in London as part of its ongoing e-scooter roll-out there, and Dott plans to deploy the technology in Dublin in due course.

• Audible detection: Following a recent research programme with the University of Salford, Dott will also embed its e-scooters with a distinctive sound that can be easily recognised by people with visual impairments.

• Smart parking: Using built-in GPS technology and photo verification Dott can ensure e-scooters are parked in dedicated parking bays, significantly reducing any dangers of trip hazards.

Dott is planning to introduce its shared schemes to the Irish market once the required legislation is in place to regulate the use of e-scooters on Irish roads. Dott has been engaging with local and national stakeholders in Ireland on a variety of issues relating to e-scooters, with a particular focus on safety.

Dott has also established an Irish Safety Advisory Board with representatives from the Irish Wheelchair Association, the National Council for the Blind, Dublin Town and the Irish Transport Research Network.

Dott has used its extensive experience operating across 17 European cities to enhance safety measures on its e-scooters. The See.Sense technology makes it possible to protect the safety of users and ensures that riders adhere to the rules of the road, when out and about on a Dott. It does this in three ways:

1. The identification of areas around the city where extreme braking or swerving – indicative of potential collisions – are common. This data is fed back to city stakeholders to take action to re-design infrastructure before incidents occur

2. Pavement detection through monitoring changes in road surface

3. Identifying trends in reckless riding (for eg riding on footpaths); if a driver is behaving abnormally, an alert can be sent to the driver as a warning. This data can also be shared with city authorities to identify riding trends.

In other European markets, Dott has over 97% parking compliance amongst riders, thanks to their established ‘safe parking’ feature which partners built-in GPS location technology with photo enforcement, to ensure vehicles are parked correctly in designated parking bays.

If a scooter is left outside of a parking zone, the rider is fined with a relocation fee and a prompt is sent to Dott’s street teams to pick up and repark the scooter in a safe location.

Duncan Robertson, General Manager of Dott in Ireland and the UK, said: “From talking to local stakeholders in Dublin, we know that safety remains a key concern, particularly for the visually impaired and vulnerable road users. At Dott we take safety provisions very seriously. This lane detection and audio technology will help improve the safety of not just our riders but those around them, so that scooter usage remains a pleasure for everyone. 

“Much like electric cars, we know that e-scooters can cause a particular hazard to visually impaired people because they emit very little sound. We’ve carried out research on this, and will now begin embedding our e-scooters with a sound that will be easily recognisable to the visually impaired. We look forward to working with Dublin authorities to introduce this technology here, for the benefit of all road users.”

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