Electric scooter safety 電動滑板車的安全

眼下最新的城市交通出行方式是騎電動滑板車。這種新型交通工具使人們從一地到另一地的出行過程變得既簡單又便宜。不過至少在英國，法律對在哪裡可以騎電動滑板車是有限制的。人們對在公路上使用滑板車的安全系數也有顧慮。本集 “隨身英語” 介紹這個時髦的交通工具。

Vocabulary: transport 詞匯：交通

If you look around the streets of London, you’ll see the many methods people use to move around. Whether it’s on a commute to work, a trip to the shops, or a sightseeing excursion, there are people on buses, the Tube, cars, motorbikes, bicycles and even roller skates. The roads are already congested; and now there’s a new addition: electric, or ‘e-scooters’.

This traditional children’s vehicle has become more sophisticated over the years. And now, with the addition of a small electric motor, it’s become a cheap and easy mode of transport. Scooting around town can be fun and doesn’t involve much effort, so it’s no wonder they’re becoming increasingly popular in cities around the world. But following what’s believed to be the first fatal accident involving an electric scooter in the UK, questions are being asked about their safety and whether traffic laws should be changed.

Some scooter riders have been seen on pavements; others on the road jumping red traffic lights, adding to the frustration of motorists stuck in jams. In the UK, the law states that riding one on the public highway or pavement is forbidden. Riders currently face a £300 fixed-penalty notice and six points on their driving licence for doing so. But, despite this, it seems the increasing popularity of e-scooters means they can be seen everywhere. And now users are calling on regulations to be changed.

The UK government is looking at how safely they can be used on the road and is ‘reviewing’ the law. But its transport minister, Michael Ellis, has told the AYYBLOG that: “Micromobility products are appearing in countries across the globe and are an exciting innovation for which we know there is demand. However, safety must always be our top priority when considering their use on public highways in this country.”

There’s no doubt there are dangers in riding a two-wheeled scooter. Despite the fact that some of them can exceed 30mph, they sometimes only have one brake and no lights. They also become unstable if the rider hits a pothole, and however confident the rider may be, larger vehicles on the road make them vulnerable. So it seems more work needs to be done to give e-scooters a safe and legal space to travel in.

詞匯表

commute 上下班，通勤
sightseeing excursion 觀光遊覽
the Tube 倫敦地鐵
congested 擁堵的

electric motor 電機
scoot 滑動
traffic laws 交通法規
rider 騎車的人
pavement 人行道
jump red traffic lights 闖紅燈
motorist 開車的人
jam 堵車，交通堵塞
public highway 公路

fixed-penalty notice 固定罰單
micromobility 微行動技術
two-wheeled 兩輪的
brake 剎車
pothole 坑窪
vehicle 車輛

測驗與練習

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. What is it that makes an e-scooter easy to ride?

2. How have some e-scooter riders in the UK broken the law?

3. True or false? The UK government is going to change the law about where e-scooters can be used.

4. How fast can some e-scooters travel?

5. Which word used in the article means ‘not allowed, especially by law’?

2. 請在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. Excuse me, I have to go now. I’m _______ to the shops before they shut.

scoot scooting scooter scootering

2. The roads in the city have become so _______ that I find it quicker to walk than to drive.

jams potholes congested mode

3. Because of the accident on the motorway, we’ve been stuck in a _______ for hours and hours.

jam jams jammed jammer

4. Now I’ve started using a bike for my daily _______, I arrive at work feeling fit and healthy.

commute scoot micromobility public highway

5. According to local _______, you mustn’t sound your car horn after 10 o’clock at night.

traffic lights trafficking laws traffic lores traffic laws

答案

1. 閱讀課文並回答問題。

1. What is it that makes an e-scooter easy to ride?
A small electric motor makes it easy to ride.

2. How have some e-scooter riders in the UK broken the law?
Some scooter riders have been seen riding on pavements; others on the road jumping red traffic lights.

3. True or false? The UK government is going to change the law about where e-scooters can be used.
False. The UK government is ‘reviewing’ the law but not necessarily changing it.

4. How fast can some e-scooters travel?
Some of them can exceed – go faster than – 30mph.

5. Which word used in the article means ‘not allowed, especially by law’?
Forbidden. “In the UK, the law states that riding one on the public highway or pavement is forbidden.”

2.請在不參考課文的情況下完成下列練習。選擇一個意思合適的單詞填入句子的空格處。

1. Excuse me, I have to go now. I’m scooting to the shops before they shut.

2. The roads in the city have become so congested that I find it quicker to walk than to drive.

3. Because of the accident on the motorway, we’ve been stuck in a jam for hours and hours.

4. Now I’ve started using a bike for my daily commute, I arrive at work feeling fit and healthy.

5. According to local traffic laws, you mustn’t sound your car horn after 10 o’clock at night.