A universal sound will make it easier to detect moving escooters


You might be irritated by the sight of toppled escooters on the sidewalk or people riding them with a beer in hand (hallo, Berlin), there’s a bigger problem afoot — how they sound, or rather, don’t.

Escooter motors are silent, making it difficult for blind and partially sighted people to detect when a vehicle is approaching. 

But now, they are being given their very own sound.

This week, the University of College London’s specialist Person-Environment-Activity Research Laboratory (PEARL), joined forces with London escooter operators TIER, Lime, and Dott. They’re working together to research and develop a ‘universal sound’ for rental escooters. This sound will alert pedestrians and other roads users of approaching escooters. 

The joint initiative is an industry first and follows extended engagement with disability experts and access consultants. There are currently no standards or regulations in place for audible escooter alerts.