Voi conducts safety training at the Cycle Week in Zurich

We are happy to announce that last week, from 12 to 15 May 2022, we successfully conducted yet another safety training at the Cycle Week in Zurich.

The Cycle Week is the epicentre of cycling and micromobility in Switzerland. It takes place at Switzerland’s most trafficked mobility hub at Zurich’s central station.

In order to reach Vision Zero, we believe that it is vital to invest in rider education around safety. A lack of traffic knowledge is one of the primary risk factors in e-scooter use. “We strongly suspect that a large proportion of all accidents stem from a lack of traffic knowledge and lack of practice with the vehicle,” explains Dr. Michael Zyskowski, functional senior physician at the Clinic and Polyclinic for Trauma Surgery Klinikum rechts der Isar. 

Simulating irresponsible riding 

In our safety training sessions we are, therefore, prioritising the educational aspects around micromobility. These include a theory session on rules of the road, as well as a practical session on how to ride e-scooters, park them responsibly and other riding tips, under the supervision of experts. 

As part of our safety campaign, we also highlight the dangers of riding while intoxicated. At the safety events, we simulate riding e-scooters while under the influence, with participants looking through a pair of goggles designed by alcohol and drug abuse centres in Germany. 

The Voi safety training sessions are accompanied by a study of the Department of Trauma Surgery at the Technical University of Munich, to gain more insight into suitable measures.

Voi’s advocates for stricter policing

These training sessions complement our certified, digital riding school, RideLikeVoila, which was founded in 2019 and an industry-first. As part of the school, riders can answer questions about the e-scooter as well as any applicable traffic regulations – similar to the theoretical part of a driving test. As an incentive, graduates receive credit for their first few journeys. In Germany, more than 200,000 riders have taken part in the driving school to date.

Other illegal and dangerous e-scooter riding behaviour will, of course, also be penalised by authorities and, at Voi, we advocate for stricter control of e-scooter riders by police.  Stephan Boelte, Voi’s Regional General Manager, Germany explains: “Riding an e-scooter in pairs will incur a fine up to €50 in Germany, and you can even lose your driving licence if you drink and drive. In addition to our safety training sessions and riding school we recommend, therefore, cracking down on traffic offenders and making examples of irresponsible riding behaviour to deter others as much as possible.”