Welcome back for another week of What's Next, where we report on the intersection of law and technology. Dykema's Jesse Halfon kicks us off this week on the laws attempting to keep pace with the dockless scooters and micromobility vehicles zipping around U.S. cities. Plus, lawyers respond to a precedential ruling that might hold Amazon accountable for faulty products. And the FCC proposes a new rule that aims to limit the number of calls you get about free cruises. Don't be a stranger: Email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter at @a_lancaster3.


Jesse Halfon, an attorney for Dykema in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Scooting Around Micro Vehicle Laws

I'll go on record to say that I thought the future of transportation would look a bit sleeker than adults riding lime green scooters. Alas, electric, dockless scooters have arrived and are in more than 100 cities worldwide. After downloading an app and signing a fairly wide sweeping waiver of liability, users can pluck one of these vehicles off the ground and take off for their destination. As a native New Yorker, Jesse Halfon has always been interested in alternative transit. The automotive and products liability attorney for Dykema in Ann Arbor, Michigan, says that laws have not quite caught up with the 15 mph micromobility option. The growth of this transit method, he says, depends on a willingness to adapt to shared mobility and tap into big data.

➤➤ What kind of laws are you seeing pop up in response to dockless scooters such as Lime and Bird?  Most scooter bills typically define proper usage, age and speed limits. The vast majority of cities that have enacted laws have required that they be ridden on the road or in bike paths, and they're typically prohibited on sidewalks. A few require that they only be ridden on the sidewalk. That's what makes this area of the law fascinating, because there's no real standard. Each city is playing it by ear and watching what other cities do.

➤➤ Have you seen cities try to enforce helmet usage? The main area of enforcement for municipalities has not been safety, but the parking issue. Because they're dockless, they can be left in the middle of the street where people can trip on them. In particular, it's an issue for people who are disabled. That's the No. 1 area where cities have flexed their muscles. They'll pick up the scooters and impound them if they're not handled properly.