Bolt introduces reckless rider score feature to enhance micro-mobility safety

Credit: Bolt

Bolt has announced the launch of a new feature to tackle unsafe scooter riding habits. The reckless rider score, which had been announced as part of a landmark pledge from the business on safety, is the industry’s first such comprehensive system for evaluating riders’ behaviour.

The reckless rider scoring system evaluates a rider’s behaviour based on a wide set of inputs collected from each scooter. The list of indicators includes tandem riding detection, frequent abrupt braking and skidding, collisions and illegal parking. Each of those behaviours is ranked at the end of each ride and the user’s riding behaviour is evaluated after every five rides. 

If a rider is in the top 2% of reckless riders in a given city, Bolt will implement a three-step process to promote safer riding habits. First, the rider will receive educational materials detailing how to use a scooter safely. If the rider’s score does not improve over the next five rides, their scooter speed will be limited to 15 km/h for the next five rides. If these two measures do not bring any improvement, the user will be suspended from using scooters for one week with the option to appeal the decision to Bolt’s customer service team. 

The feature is currently being tested in Germany and Portugal and will be scaled to other markets throughout the season.

Bolt and Jelbi partner for seamless micro-mobility integration in Berlin

Bolt’s reckless rider score had been announced as part of the launch of its Scooter Safety Pledge developed in partnership with Steer. The Scooter Safety Pledge outlines the business’ current safety initiatives and its commitment to guidelines that will strengthen scooter safety standards across the industry based on the research.

“As announced in our latest Scooter Safety Report, in 2021 we decreased the number of injuries by 26% and accidents involving our scooters by 12%, while increasing the number of rides five times in comparison to 2020. However, we constantly raise the bar for the safety of our service. This is why we hope that standards included in our pledge and rider’s score will become an inspiration for the whole industry,” said Dmitri Pivovarov, VP for Rentals at Bolt.

Within the pledge Bolt committed to a number of measures to tackle micro-mobility safety and enhance its partnership with cities. The list of measures includes:

• Working together with cities to set up safe conditions for micro-mobility
• Tackling intoxicated riding
• Effective rider education
• Preserve public space and protect vulnerable groups.