Following String of Fatalities, Motorized Scooter Operator Revel Prepares for NYC Relaunch

Motorized scooters (or mopeds) have become popular on New York City streets, as local seek socially distanced recreation options.

Unfortunately, this newfound passion for scooters proved deadly for a group of city residents last month.

In the space of just one week in July, three New Yorkers were killed in accidents involving rented Revel scooters. The incidents drew concerned remarks from city leaders and led to a temporary shutdown of Revel’s services.

Now, the company is preparing to relaunch in a manner that it hopes will provide its customers with a safer riding experience.

Can Revel Relaunch Safely?

News of Revel’s impending relaunch came courtesy of NYC Councilman Antonio Reynoso’s Twitter account. Revel, which had vowed to reassess its safety protocols in the wake of the fatal crashes, followed up Reynoso’s Tweet with the following statement:

“Over the past three weeks, we have continued our ongoing work of reviewing and strengthening our rider accountability and safety measures. These include new features for confirming that users are wearing a helmet and additional mandatory in-app training, which we have been creating in partnership with industry experts,” Revel said in a statement. “During this time, we have continued to actively communicate with city officials and community leaders. We are in the process of finalizing these measures and, while we do not have an announcement to make at this time, we will have more information available to share soon.”

Though Revel suspended operations in NYC, it continued to operate within its other US markets.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio criticized the company’s approach to safety before the company decided to take its local scooters offline.

“When you see an incident, a few incidents, it causes concern,” de Blasio said following July’s accidents. “Our people have been talking to Revel, and they’ve been making changes, but not enough changes is the bottom line. This has just gotten to be too much.”

Why Revel Scooters Are Dangerous

While we may think of mopeds as slow, harmless vehicles, Revel’s fleet can travel up to 30 miles per hour. While the company required riders to wear helmets, that rule has not always been complied with. Additionally, Revel riders have been ticketed for taking the vehicles on sidewalks and in bike lanes, two places in which they are prohibited to operate.

While Revel requires a driver’s license for rentals, no training is required. It’s possible that some new riders may not appreciate the speeds at which the company’s scooters can travel — or the impact a collision can have.

“No one should be running a business that is not safe,” de Blasio said during a July news conference. “Unfortunately, this has been proven to be not safe. We will work with Revel, we will not allow them to reopen unless we are convinced it can be done safely.”

With Revel relaunching, de Blasio and other city officials will be keeping a close eye on whether their new safety measures are sufficient to protect New Yorkers.

Should you or someone you love be injured in a motorized scooter accident, it’s important that you seek the help of an experienced attorney.

Finding the Right Motorized Scooter Accident Attorney 

At the Frankel Law Firm, we’ve been fighting for the rights of injured persons for more than 40 years. If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out to us today at (212) 888-5100 or you can reach us by using the contact option at www.Frankellawfirm.com. All plaintiff injury cases which are accepted are on a contingency basis which means that there will be no attorneys fee unless successful. Given the coronavirus pandemic, we can arrange for a free consultation by Facetime, Zoom, Skype or WhatsApp. Please feel free to give us a call.

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