According to a recent study conducted by e-scooter sharing company Dott, a significant disparity exists between male and female users of electric scooters, with men significantly outnumbering women in ridership.
According to Dott’s latest study, 71 percent of their electric scooter users are male, with the remaining 29 percent female riders making up just a quarter of the total user base.
The corporation found that the market penetration rate slows slightly in its more mature markets, such as France and Belgium, although women remain a minority demographic across all markets.
In keeping with Dott:
According to the findings, mature consumers in established markets perceive higher levels of security, whereas women exhibit reduced inclination to recognize e-scooters as a predominantly male-oriented product. As daily commutes on e-scooters increase, so too does public awareness of girls using these vehicles.
While notions of security appear as a significant divide between the sexes, women are disproportionately affected by concerns over safety, citing security risks as a primary obstacle to adopting electric scooters.
While some women voiced concerns about the safety of the vehicles themselves, others emphasized the lack of protected infrastructure in urban areas, expressing worry about sharing roads with cars.
Only approximately 39% of participating girls mentioned infrastructure-based security concerns in the study. Fear of infrastructure breakdown varied significantly across regions, with British women showing a 35% concern level, Italian women at 51%, and French women registering a relatively low 20%.
The disparity is largely attributed to market maturity, with electric scooters having gained broader adoption in France. The corporation further argued that its impact might be tied to the type of infrastructure in place, such as segregated bike paths and car-free areas or reduced speed limits for vehicles in each country. In Paris, a strict speed limit of 30 km/h (18 mph) for automobiles brings them into harmony with the pace of electric scooters, fostering a sense of confidence among scooter riders as they navigate the city’s roads alongside vehicles.
Despite this, roughly 20% of girls found that riding electric scooters was a significantly safer option for solo travel at night, outperforming walking alone or relying on public transportation altogether?
Dott’s Head of Sustainability Laura Hensel shared her thoughts on the study’s outcomes in a statement made available to:
The data reveals a pronounced gender imbalance among users of shared micro-mobility services. As part of our effort to create a service accessible to everyone, we aim to simplify the experience for more women to opt for shared e-scooters and e-bikes as a convenient, eco-friendly, and environmentally responsible way to navigate their city sustainably? We anticipate that our new coaching classes will foster confidence in a controlled environment, enabling more people to get the most out of their driving experience on public roads.
Electrek’s Take
As a self-proclaimed free spirit, I’m accustomed to prioritizing freedom over caution when it comes to choosing my mode of transportation. As each individual perceives reality through their unique vantage point, they are endowed with a distinct perspective on the world. Ladies may consider the risks associated with using electric scooters differently from me, and some previously unexplored points have indeed piqued my attention.
Here’s a revised version: While I’ve long believed that well-regulated shared electric scooters could be a highly effective tool for increasing city accessibility and reducing the need for car ownership, when left unchecked they can also pose significant risks to public safety and infrastructure. However, with services catering to only half the population, we’ve still got a long way to go.
