E-scooters to be fitted with ‘tuba-like’ warning sound to alert pedestrians

Safety feature might put the wind up those nearby but could prevent injuries suffered in collisions

E-scooters will be fitted with a loud noise to let pedestrians know they're behind them
E-scooters will be fitted with a loud noise to let pedestrians know they're behind them

E-scooters are to get a "tuba-like" sound to warn pedestrians when they are approaching, amid safety concerns.

Academics at University College London (UCL) are working with e-scooter rental companies to create a warning noise that will alert people to the direction a rider is coming from.

The effort comes as the latest Government figures show more than 131 pedestrians were injured by e-scooters in the year ending in June.

A concern around e-scooters is that they can surprise pedestrians as they only make a low whirring sound when being ridden.

On Thursday, three e-scooter companies, TIER, Lime, and Dott, which are taking part in the Government’s e-scooter trials, unveiled a project working with UCL’s Person-Environment-Activity Research Laboratory (PEARL) to devise a recognisable sound that can be attached to the devices.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Prof Nick Tyler, director of PEARL, said his team is developing a noise that mimics those that the human ear has evolved to be particularly sensitive to.

Cocktail Party Effect

The most effective sound is currently thought to be a repeated sharp ‘tsh’ noise, similar to a high-hat cymbal, followed by a drawn-out hum similar to the tuba.

The PEARL team is looking to tap into a phenomenon called the Cocktail Party Effect, where the human is attuned to pick up certain noises clearly even in crowded environments.

The phenomenon relates to people’s ability to hear their name even when whispered in a crowded noisy cocktail party.

Prof Tyler said: “Where that [ability] came from is how we survived in the savannah thousands of years ago as our hearing system has evolved to detect small sounds that we determine are important. 

“That sound in the savannah would have been something like the snapping of a twig. That would attract your attention and your vision would take over.”

The 'tsh' sound that starts the e-scooter noise aims to recreate the high-frequency sound akin to a twig snap sound that humans find easy to quickly pick up and locate.

The drawn-out tuba-like sound is a version of “pink noise” - a warmer version of the white noise radios make when in-between stations - which is designed to be distinct enough from general traffic that people can identify it, but without adding to noise pollution.

The project comes as concern is growing about the potential for e-scooter accidents as the devices have become a common sight in cities since the lockdowns.

Currently, privately owned e-scooters are illegal to ride in public in the UK with those caught by police facing a £300 fine and six points on their licence.

Statistics released by the Department of Transport last year showed that 931 people were injured in accidents involving e-scooters in the 12 months to June last year, including 131 pedestrians.  

Meanwhile, the Government is running several trials around the UK where people can hire e-scooters from approved companies and ride them in designated zones.

TIER, which operates in the e-scooter trial zones in York and London, has committed to adding the sound to its devices once it is finalised by the UCL team and then making it available to other e-scooter companies.

The sound will likely be implemented by attaching a small speaker, like the ones in smartphones, to the e-scooters.

Fred Jones, Vice President and Regional General Manager of TIER, said: “Working with experts at UCL to develop an inclusive sound for e-scooters will be crucial to protecting pedestrians and road users potentially made vulnerable through the introduction of this new transport mode to the UK.”

License this content