SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Lime is warning riders of a problem with their deckles scooters that can cause “sudden excessive braking during use.”
The company issued a safety update on Saturday, saying they had recently discovered a bug in the firmware of their scooters.
They determined in some circumstances, the brake on the front wheel would be suddenly and automatically applied often after hitting an obstacle while riding downhill at high speeds.
“While this issue has affected less than 0.0045% of all Lime rides, some riders have been injured,” wrote Lime in the safety update.
That includes Paul Grasso, who says he was riding a Lime scooter on December 18 on Ingraham Street near Vacation Road in Mission Bay.
He said he had just gone down the bridge and was making his way up a sidewalk ramp when the scooter’s wheels tightened up, sending him flying face-first into the pavement.
“I spent five days in the hospital,” he said with a “broken nose, fractured skull, traumatic brain injury, fractured eye socket, ten stitches in my forehead and stitches on my nose.”
10News reached out to Lime about Grasso’s crash but they said they couldn’t comment on rider specific questions.
Lime has launched a fleet-wide firmware update to fix the braking bug. It should reach all of their scooters in the next few days, according to the company’s safety update.
Until they have confirmed that all of their scooters have been updated, they have issued a list of precautions for riders:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Comply with any scooter audible or visual warnings to slow or adjust your speed.
- 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.
- 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.
