Amherst e-scooter crash has local officials considering additional safety steps

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — A recent crash involving an electric scooter in Amherst has now renewed the focus on traffic safety in the town as local officials weigh their options on what can be done to help protect the people riding the scooters as their popularity soars in Western New York.

The accident occurred around 9:40 a.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Maple Road and North Bailey Avenue, according to Amherst Police.

The e-scooter rider, a 40-year-old Niagara Falls man, was in the intersection when he was hit by an 80-year-old Niagara Falls man driving a Subaru. The 40-year-old was transported to ECMC to be treated for leg, abdominal and head injuries. The 80-year-old was not hurt.

Amherst Police provided an update on the man's condition Wednesday, telling WIVB News 4 that he is now stable and that he suffered multiple fractures as a result of the injuries sustained in the crash.

Following that crash, WIVB News 4 caught up with Amherst Deputy Supervisor Shawn Lavin who talked about the increase in popularity when it comes to electric scooters and bikes.

"If you would've asked me 10 years ago what an e-bike is, I would've looked at you with my head tilted, but here we are, they're everywhere, and they're going to become more and more popular," Lavin said. "You have to wear a helmet, and you have to obey traffic safety laws, and then I think, as we move forward in this kind-of new technology, we should start thinking about protective bike lanes, or something along those lines."

We also caught up with AAA Western and Central New York who explained that the safest place to ride e-scooters and e-bikes are in protective bike lanes.

"The safest place to ride your e-scooter is in a bike lane, if it's available, otherwise you want to be on the side of the road," said Elizabeth Carey, AAA's director of public relations & corporate communications. "We do see the most mishaps take place, either on the road, or also on the sidewalk as well, so you don't want to put pedestrians at risk either. If there is a bike lane, it's the safest place to be."

Adding bike lanes in Amherst is something that some we spoke with in the community support.

"I own two electric scooters," Amherst resident Lucas Reid said. "So, if there were bike lanes, I think overall it would make it so much safer and easier to navigate on electric scooters."

"I think bike lanes are super important," said Amherst resident Kaylee Hartman. "When it comes to the e-scooters, they travel at such a high-rate of speed that it's not as much comparable to a regular bike as it is to like a moped or something, so I think there are definitely some extra safety measures that should be taken for that, including the bike lanes."

AAA Western and Central New York says they're not only seeing a huge rise in the use of electric scooters and bikes, but also a rise in crashes, injuries, and fatalities as a result.

"We have seen an uptick in crashes," Carey said. "Both injuries and fatalities, so this is something that AAA has been trying to get the word out about to remember that everyone has to share the road together."

There's currently no officials steps to add bike lanes in the Town of Amherst at this time; however, it's something Deputy Supervisor Lavin tells WIVB News 4 is worth a conversation moving forward.