How Many Times Have Jump Scooters Been Involved In Accidents? Sacramento Police Don't Know

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Motorized scooters are now zooming down Sacramento's streets, but they are so new that police are having trouble keeping up with the technology.

After two months of JUMP scooters on the streets, the City of Sacramento has produced a video in an effort to make sure people know the rules of the road.

According to Linda Matthew with the Sacramento Police Department, riders must have a learner's permit or driver's license to operate the scooter. Riders must also ride in the bike lane if it's available.

It's also against the law to ride on the sidewalk.

While the scooters are fun, they can also be dangerous. There were two fatal accidents in Southern California recently.

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"It only takes one wrong turn or a little too much speed and you could easily collide with a car or hit a pedestrian," Matthew said.

These electric scooters are growing in popularity and more are expected to hit the market place in the coming months, Cities like Sacramento are drafting new rules to regulate the devices, but there have still been some bumps in the road.

In Sacramento, officers investigating all accidents fill out a report with victim and vehicle information. The form has spaces for cars, bicycles, and pedestrians, but there is no way to specifically indicate if a motorized scooter is involved.

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This creates a problem when the police try to track the crashes. Currently, an electric scooter crash is listed as a pedestrian crash.

Police say they haven't taken any scooter crash reports yet and they're hoping riders follow the rules.

The CHP has already updated its system to track scooter crashes, and Sacramento Police say they're hoping to do the same.

In April city leaders will consider imposing fees on bike and scooter rental companies to help monitor devices.