An Auckland woman says her life has been “changed forever” after being hit by an e-scooter on her walk to work.
Michelle Mann was hit by a scooter in 2018 and was left with a severe brain injury.
The average number of concussion-related ACC e-scooter claims since 2019 was 93 per year — and they could be life-changing.
Mann wanted the introduction of an insurance tariff to hold e-scooter companies responsible for the cost of e-scooter related ACC claims.
Seven years ago, she was walking to work from the ferry terminal on downtown Auckland’s Quay St when she was struck by an e-scooter.
“This moment in time changed everything about my life, everything.
“I don’t have that job that I used to go to, I don’t work in the city, I don’t have a job, I can’t drive to the city.
“I can’t do normal life anymore and this spot represents where that all changed.”
Mann suffered a severe brain injury as well as a tear and impingements – pressure on a nerve or tendon – in her shoulder and hip.
She also had issues with both sides of her jaw.
She has had six surgeries to date, was still recovering and cried while telling RNZ’s Checkpoint about her recovery.
“Sorry I’m having a moment; it’s just a lot, it’s a lot.”
She was not alone. An Auckland City Hospital Emergency Department report on e-scooter injuries in 2019 showed more than 17% of patients suffered from impact injuries to their heads.
More 4% of patients were critically harmed, suffering a significant head injury.
All up, Mann said her case with ACC cost $600,000.
The total cost for the number of e-scooter related ACC claims from January 1, 2019 to the end of 2024 was $50 million.
In Auckland, the total sum paid by e-scooter providers to Auckland Council from 2019 to 2024 was $1.8 million. Wellington Council was unable to provide a total sum to RNZ.
Mann questioned whether that revenue was worth the cost to the taxpayer through ACC.
“All the people putting into ACC are just picking up the tab.”
‘Personal responsibility’ for riders
She would like e-scooter companies take on some of the financial responsibility with an insurance tariff.
That was something Sheffield Fox group chief executive Peter Adams hoped to introduce. The group of insurance engineers were looking at introducing an additional payment for riders that would go into an insurance fund.
For the last few years, the Sheffield Fox group has researched a clip-on device for e-scooters.
“In a nutshell, we think it’s a very small device that can be bolted on and it probably talks to the person’s app on their smartphone and it just records information and sends it.”
Adams said the device would be a combination of AI, sensors, and a camera.
The device could track the location of the scooter, warn the rider about potential collisions, and even connect to the brakes.
“Personal responsibility comes into it – you damage somebody or something, then we think you’re responsible.”
Currently, e-scooter riders were not allowed in cycle lanes, but they could use shared paths on the road and the footpath.
Waka Kotahi’s latest safety review on e-scooters acknowledged virtually all crashes with pedestrians happened on footpaths.
Some councils – such as Auckland and Wellington – had curfew zones, low speed, and no ride zones, to try and minimise accidents.
Mann has written to the Minister of Transport Simeon Brown, asking for mandatory training for all e-scooter users, an insurance tariff, and for e-scooters to be able to use the cycle lane.
In a letter RNZ has seen, the minister thanked her for those suggestions and said he would be considering progressing changes for the regulation of e-scooters in the future.
Mann wanted to see them sooner rather than later.
“Thanks for your response, but actually what are you going to do about it?
“What actions are you going to take? What people are you going to bring round the table to make effective and positive change happen that makes the pavements safe for everybody?”
By Louise Ternouth of rnz.co.nz
