SAN ANTONIO – The new electric scooters seen around downtown San Antonio are easy, convenient and relatively cheap to use. The big question for many is about safety and rules when it comes to riding.
Whether it's Bird or Lime, signing up is simple. Just download the app and within minutes you can cruise through town.
"It's a fun way to tour the city without having to walk all over and getting lost. Maybe a little bit less exercise, but it's still fun," rider Jaime Davis said.
A man was hurt Tuesday when he fell off a scooter and broke his arm. Emergency medical services personnel and firefighters were called to help.
Davis said accidents are part of riding, and that won’t stop her from enjoying the scooters.
"People have serious injuries on trampolines and I would still jump on that,” she said. “Car accidents happen all the time. If you live your life in fear, then what’s the point?”
The accident prompted KSAT to look into the rules and requirements to ride for both companies.
Both companies ask riders to wear helmets. Bird even offers to send you a free helmet if you cover the shipping cost. Riders are also asked to follows traffic laws.
Riders are asked to park out of the public right of way and park properly at curbside.
We contacted the San Antonio police and fire departments to find out if there has been an increase in accidents on scooters. Both said they don't track scooter accidents specifically, but an SAFD spokesman said, "I can say that there has not been an increase in responses that has been significant enough to cause our command staff to have been notified."
For more information on rules and safety and the scooter companies, visit their websites: