Rules and Regulations for Using Rental Vehicles in Baltimore County: A Guide for Road Users

Drivers must always leave bicycles and scooters at least three feet behind when passing. When turning, cars must look and give way to people, bicycles, and scooters. The Department of Transportation is currently accepting public comments on proposed changes to the regulations for dockless vehicle permits. Dockless vehicles are small vehicles that are rented on public roads, including electric scooters and electric bicycles.

The companies that offer them for rent are regulated by the Department of Transportation to ensure safety and equal access. Scooters quickly acquired a sense of ubiquity in Baltimore, but the proposed law would allow many more of them to circulate on city streets. Currently, operators have a limit of 1000 each. The proposal would allow a total of 12,000 scooters and dockless bicycles. Criminal penalties are included in legislation that the department asked the City Council to study the possibility of regulating companies that offer dockless rental bicycles and electric scooters, which appeared last year on the streets of Baltimore, and to impose traffic regulations on cyclists.

During this latest round of tenders, applications were scored following a strict rubric to assess how companies were meeting the needs of the City of Baltimore for a sustainable, safe and equitable transportation option, city officials said. The City of Baltimore has decided to follow in the footsteps of another city that had problems with the electric scooter companies that invaded its city: Denver. The Baltimore City Department of Transportation encourages all road users to be safe, obey all traffic laws, and share the road. The Baltimore proposal would also require the transportation director to ensure equitable access to scooters and bicycles for all people in the City. In October, there were up to 1,400 scooters in Baltimore and, in the first few months, users had made around a quarter of a million trips. The personal injury attorneys at Gilman & Bedigian represent people injured by electric scooters — whether bicyclists, pedestrians, or anyone else — in Baltimore City.

Understanding the Regulations for Using Rental Vehicles in Baltimore County

Since the approval of this pilot program, problems related to the presence of electric scooters in Baltimore have guided the City to regulate the devices once the program expires.

Jed Weeks, policy director for the cycling defense organization Bikemore, said he was concerned that the Baltimore proposal would include too many things in hard-to-change laws, instead of giving city officials the flexibility needed to adapt to rapidly changing technologies. Gendron said that, in general, the company welcomes the Baltimore bill because it would allow it to make better plans.

The Dangers of Electric Scooter Use

Almost immediately after their introduction into Baltimore's streets, emergency rooms were flooded with injuries related to electric scooter rides. Not only do electric scooters put users at risk of being injured in a collision with a car or if the scooter breaks down while traveling, but they also put pedestrians at risk of being hit by a reckless driver who doesn't care too much about traffic regulations.

Conclusion

It is important for all road users in Baltimore County to be aware of the rules and regulations regarding rental vehicles such as electric scooters and bicycles. By understanding these regulations and taking necessary precautions when using these vehicles, road users can help ensure their safety as well as that of others.