ATLANTA (AP) – Atlanta is banning electric scooters in the nighttime hours during what’s been a deadly summer for riders.
The ban comes as cities across the nation struggle to regulate the companies renting the devices and keep riders safe.
In Atlanta, three riders have died since May in crashes that involved a public bus, an SUV and a car. Police in the Atlanta suburb of East Point say a fourth rider was killed there Tuesday in a collision involving his scooter and a truck.
“Sadly, we have seen a pattern in the recent and tragic fatalities involving scooters – they all occurred after sunset,” Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a statement Thursday.
City officials on Thursday announced a ban on electric scooters and electric bikes from 9 p.m. until 4 a.m. daily. The ban takes effect Friday.