Spotlight Industry News •

Safety Update – February 2019

Lime is committed to being transparent with our riders and with the community. That’s why we update you when a potential issue affects our fleet. Safety is critical at Lime and we are diligent in the detection, diagnosis, and resolution of any issue that occurs in our fleet.

Recently we detected a bug in the firmware of our scooter fleet that under rare circumstances could cause sudden excessive braking during use. Through extensive analysis by both our internal team and outside experts, we diagnosed the issue in a laboratory environment and determined that in very rare cases -- usually riding downhill at top speed while hitting a pothole or other obstacle -- excessive brake force on the front wheel can occur, resulting in a scooter stopping unexpectedly.

We have developed a series of updates for the firmware and are confident in their efficacy. We have already rolled out some of the firmware fixes, which immediately resulted in a material reduction of occurrences. A final update is now being dispatched to every Lime scooter in the market and will be complete shortly. We are also proactively working with consumer protection agencies around the world to ensure we meet their rigorous safety expectations.

While this issue has affected less than 0.0045% of all Lime rides, some riders have been injured, and, although most have been bumps and bruises, any injury is one too many. Like all forms of transportation, there is risk that we work to mitigate but cannot entirely eliminate. We are actively pursuing research to help us better understand and reduce those risks within our control. While all available data suggests such risks are very small, we encourage you to ride safely by taking similar precautions to those you would take when riding a bike:

  1. Before starting your Lime trip, walk around the scooter and do a visual inspection of the hardware. Is the vehicle body in good condition? If not, don’t use that vehicle; report it to our customer service team and then select another vehicle.
  2. Once you start your Lime trip, give the brake a tight squeeze. If the brake does not engage properly and immediately stop the vehicle, dismount, end the trip and notify Lime customer service.
  3. Use extra caution in the next few days while we issue the final firmware update -- especially when riding downhill. Always stay in full control of your scooter and don’t go full speed while riding downhill.
  4. Comply with any scooter audible or visual warnings to slow or adjust your speed.
  5. Ride defensively: wear a helmet and reflective or bright clothing, respect the right of way and be cautious of other cars, trucks and pedestrians,don’t ever ride under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and always ride in bike lanes when available.
  6. Ride smart: follow the rules of the road, keep both hands on the handle bars, don’t use your mobile device while riding and avoid wearing headphones.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact Lime’s customer support team here.

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