OCEAN CITY, Md. — Electric scooters are on the rise in Ocean City, and so are the crashes. So far this year, 38 collisions involving scooters have been reported, prompting the Ocean City Council to explore ways to improve safety.
Buses, bikes and electric scooters all share the roads, but for some residents, the ride isn’t always smooth.
“The cars and the scooters and the bikes sometimes don't obey the traffic lights or the stop signs,” said local Ken Kuyawa.
Council members are considering banning electric scooters on Coastal Highway, Baltimore Avenue and Philadelphia Avenue. City staff say the high speed, instability and low visibility of electric scooters make them unsafe on certain roads.
“It’s a great way to commute, but needs to be considered because it’s not the same way when these laws are written. I’m sure there has to be some update there.” said another local.
Passing a restriction is complicated because these roads are owned by the State of Maryland. Ocean City would need state approval before making any changes.
To address the issue, the council made a motion on Tuesday directing the mayor, city solicitor and staff to work with the Maryland Municipal League on potential changes to state law, giving local jurisdictions the ability to regulate or prohibit electric scooters on state roads.