[12 May, 2023] Micromobility company Beam has launched a new e-scooter safety campaign across New Zealand for Global Road Safety Week (15 - 21 May), aiming to educate all e-scooter riders on the safest way to ride, even as the company continues to innovate in safety and enforcement technology for its purple fleet. 

Beam is the largest shared micromobility operator in Australia and New Zealand, with more than 5.3 million carbon neutral kilometres travelled across New Zealand to date. 

Reminding all riders that even the safest rides require a safer rider, and encouraging more New Zealanders to join in the discussion around safer roads, Beam’s campaign will run digitally across social media, the Beam app, all Beam’s channels, reiterating six key riding rules:

• Wear your helmet;
• Don’t use your phone while riding;
• Don’t drink and ride;
• Give way to pedestrians;
• Don’t share an e-scooter – one rider per vehicle
• Park responsibly after use

Beam will be increasing its on-the-ground staff during Global Road Safety Week to enforce proper riding, educate riders on the riding rules in their city, and help new riders with their first trips.

Beam’s three strikes policy will be in place, with riders risking being barred from the app for repeated rule-breaking. 

Beam General Manager (ANZ) Tom Cooper said:

“Through constant innovation and investment in bringing new technology such as footpath detection, drink-riding deterrence tests and other industry-firsts to New Zealand, we are consistently breaking new ground with e-scooter safety and enforcement. 

“However, every e-scooter requires an even safer rider, which is why we invest equally in our education programs, focusing not just on those who ride on one of our purple e-scooters, but also those riding on other shared e-scooters and on privately-owned e-scooters.

“E-scooter riders using a city’s shared spaces well and being responsible not only for themselves but for others is a big contributor to micromobility being increasingly a part of how New Zealanders move around the places they live and work. 

“With e-scooters here to stay, we call on every rider to take five minutes to refresh themselves on the riding rules in their city, and contribute to making their streets a safer space for all.”

Beam leads the e-scooter industry in safety, taking on a multi-layer approach to rider education through a commitment to educating all e-scooter riders as part of the company’s leading education and enforcement program, the Beam Safe Academy. 

The Beam Safe Academy, is live in every city Beam operates in and is aimed at educating riders on local riding rules and safe handling of e-scooters.

The program includes:

• A pre-trip in-app safety briefing for every rider, featuring instructions on how to park and ride safely
• An in-app Beam Safety Quiz educating riders on the riding rules, with free credits offered to encourage rider education
• Beam Safety Ambassadors patrolling high-traffic areas, promoting safe riding and parking 
• A three-strikes policy, with riders facing suspension for bad riding and parking offences. Those caught riding dangerously or breaking the law face permanent bans
• Regular safety events, targeting all e-scooter riders, designed to educate the wider community on safe riding of e-scooters

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