Dott e-scooters are paving the way for safe, smart cities
3 years ago
3 years ago
Moving around your city is essential, and doing so in a safe and sustainable way matters more than ever. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, people care even more about their health, hygiene, and communities, so going from A to B now comes with new considerations. Scoot on over to know more.
From the handles down to the wheels, every detail of our e-scooters is designed to seamlessly protect riders and the people around them.
Not only do we put all our hardware through vigorous safety testing, we’ve studied the bumps and turns across the roads that our e-scooters will be driven on. That’s why all our hardware has 12-inch wheels and pneumatic tires for a smooth, safe ride. We also chose to put the motor in the rear wheel to prevent sliding on wet roads – a common cause of accidents in rainy European cities.
Our e-scooters are smart too. Each one has self-diagnosis functionalities, so if anything stops working, the problem is automatically detected and communicated to our central server. The e-scooter is then set as inactive and a request for maintenance is sent to our team of experts.
And of course, we cover the basics. Our e-scooters have always-on front and rear lights, unique high visibility patterns and reflective tape to ensure that riders can always be seen, day or night. They’re also built to encourage responsible rider behavior: there are bells to alert others when an e-scooter is oncoming, and turn signals on our newer models to inform others about planned movements. And, each one has a license plate, so drivers can be identified by fellow e-scooters and traffic enforcement if they act recklessly.
Stability isn’t an issue either. Our e-scooters have a low center of gravity to facilitate riders’ balance, and deck and handle grips to maximize stability.
Coming to a stop is just as gentle. All e-scooters are installed with a brake system that uses front and rear wheel drum brakes, plus an electrical brake on the rear wheel motor to prevent forward tilting. Neat, huh?
Our commitment to safety doesn’t stop at simply making e-scooters. We have a comprehensive in-house team to check that it’s nothing but smooth sailing (well, scooting) for our riders and hardware.
Our e-scooter experts monitor our fleets across various locations, making sure that all e-scooters always comply with the highest safety standards. They do this by conducting mini check-ups, quality control, and service inspections after max. every 10 rides per e-scooter. Once an e-scooter hits 500 rides, our maintenance team does a full roadworthiness check-up at our very own Dott repair center.
In the Covid-19 pandemic, we’re paying extra attention to e-scooter hygiene. E-scooters are disinfected after max. every 10 rides, and all handlebars are being fitted with antiviral copper tape grips to reduce the survival time of bacteria. We also make sure our team has approved personal protective equipment whenever they handle e-scooters.
The team gets their own sort of check-up too, as we offer continual training around repair processes, new technology, and mobility safety throughout Europe.
We champion city collaboration with local organizations to keep our riders updated on changing transport logistics and regulations.
We know that being safe means being in control, so we’ve made a point of giving our riders the tools to stay confident and out of harm’s way.
For one, we’re rolling out ID verification for all our e-scooters to confirm a rider’s age with a valid driving license or passport. For new riders, we’re also building ‘Beginner Mode’, which limits the engine speed for the first few journeys so you can get used to riding. Oh, and if any of our riders do have an accident, they are covered by our free and comprehensive Dott insurance.
Likewise, we have a number of safety sessions on our app, social media, and in-person for seasoned and novice riders to brush up on their riding rules at any time.
And we’re big on reflective clothing and helmets. We often have helmet giveaways and have partnered with Closca, a company that’s developed a collapsible helmet, to ensure that protective headwear is affordable and accessible for every person using an e-scooter.
We also champion city collaboration with local organizations to keep our riders updated on changing transport logistics and regulations. Plus, we have local ambassadors who integrate our e-scooters into cities in a non-disruptive way. For example, ambassadors help train riders, park e-scooters in designated places, report performance issues, collect rider feedback, and generally keep e-scooter fleets in order.
Everyone deserves to feel safe, and our e-scooters are designed to protect people on, and off, two wheels.
Our specialized e-scooter technology can automatically slow riders in zones with speed limits or areas where there are lots of pedestrians. We also highlight parking zones in the Dott app, so e-scooters are stored out of pedestrians’ way.
At the same time, we collaborate with city stakeholders and other transport unions to devise training sessions on sharing roads and bike lanes safely. And, we team up with city organizations to help regulate behavior.
For the greatest impact, we take a local approach and team up with folks on the ground to really understand safe and sustainable mobility. For example, we work alongside transport officials to devise the right transport and parking infrastructure for every location our e-scooters are in.
We absolutely love showcasing the places where our e-scooters roam. From food festivals to street art, and hidden gem tours, we organize local events to
celebrate cities and their communities. We also make a conscious effort to support local businesses and transportation systems, and we team up with local driving schools to host safety sessions that are tailored to each city.
Scooting through the city streets has never been safer.
