Interacting with e-scooters as an emerging mobility technology: A qualitative analysis of motivations to ride, behaviors, and safety challenges

Date

2026-10-01

Author

Ergin, Uluğhan
Öz, Bahar

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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While the adoption of shared electric scooters as an emerging micromobility technology has surged in Türkiye, this rapid proliferation has outpaced existing transportation planning and introduced critical integration issues that jeopardize road traffic safety. Despite their pervasive presence in urban traffic, qualitative investigations into the unique human interactions and psychological challenges faced by e-scooter riders remain scarce. To address this gap, the current study provides a comprehensive qualitative analysis aiming to examine rider motivations, behavioral adaptations, and the systemic difficulties encountered within the Turkish context. Based on in-depth interviews with 10 active users, thematic analysis via MAXQDA identified 4 main themes and 11 subthemes. Findings reveal that e-scooters are primarily embraced for their efficiency and the psychological appeal of “effortless mobility”, including presentability concerns such as attending social engagements without physical exertion. Route preferences are mainly dictated by safety perceptions and familiarity, leading to behavioral adaptations shaped by the infrastructural and social conditions specific to e-scooter riding. The analysis introduces two novel constructs. “Compelled Violations” describes safety-driven infractions arising from infrastructural deficits rather than deliberate deviance, simultaneously exposing riders to social stigma despite their adaptive nature. Underlying this dynamic, “Status Entanglement” characterizes the ongoing role ambiguity between performing as a pedestrian and as a vehicle operator, leaving riders vulnerable to the challenges of both roles without the protections afforded by either. This ambiguity highlights the urgent need for detailed regulations to bridge the gap between user behavior and urban infrastructure. The findings further suggest that infrastructural deficits and regulatory ambiguity undermine the sustainable mobility potential of e-scooters. Finally, participant suggestions for vehicle design and enforcement are presented, offering directions for future policy, research, and transportation planning.

Subject Keywords

E-scooters, Micromobility, Qualitative analysis, Rider behavior, Status entanglement, Traffic safety

URI

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=105043586719&origin=inward
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/119809

Collections

Department of Psychology, Article