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Q: Do the laws on helmet use apply to people driving these new rent-a-scooters in Tacoma? – Jim R.
A: You're talking, Jim.
Whether the local police have the time, the resources, or the desire to enforce them is another matter.
First of all, a bit of context.
Debbie Cockrell, of TNT, has published numerous articles on Lime and Bird, which transports its electric scooters to Tacoma. Lime also offers bicycles. Basically, runners use an app to unlock vehicles, and then pay to use them, usually in increments of one minute.
Fans say that scooters and bicycles offer people a relatively inexpensive way to tour the city. People escaping from the lawn complain of being a threat and can clutter the sidewalks.
At Traffic Q & A's head office, we generally have an attitude of "driving and driving" about such things, but we might have sometimes whispered about groups of mopeds sneaking among pedestrians near from UWT.
But we are moving away.
The Tacoma Municipal Code clearly states in Chapter 11 that helmet use is necessary for the operation of a "motorized electric scooter". We refer you to subsection D of 11.06.040 titled "Operating Rules".
"Every person who drives … a motorized scooter shall wear a protective helmet that meets or exceeds the safety standards for bike helmets that are currently adopted or subsequently revised by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and shall have the neck or chin strap of the helmet securely fastened when the device is in motion. "
The chapter goes on to say that "anyone who violates the provisions of this chapter is deemed to have committed a traffic offense".
Now, these Lime and Bird gear do not come with a helmet, so many people drive without the necessary headgear. In fact, we have not yet seen an e-scooter pilot with a helmet, despite the admonitions of both companies that helmets are mandatory in Tacoma.
Still, no crackdown is expected, according to Tacoma police spokeswoman Loretta Cool.
"No, the police do not write violations left and right," she told us by email. "As with any quote / violation / arrest, so does the discretion of the officer and the allocation of available resources.
"An officer could probably spend all his time writing these tickets and / or stopping traffic all day, but there are calls for help to answer.
It seems to us that wearing the helmet when zooming on a motorized scooter would be a good idea, whatever the law.
Oh, and leave our lawn.
Adam Lynn: 253-597-8644, @ TNTadam
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