Editor's note: The family of the student involved in the scooter crash holds religious beliefs about publishing the names of the dead and has requested the H-T remove his name from this article. Seeing little public good in refusing this request, the H-T has updated this article to edit out his name.

Early in the morning of Aug. 17, an incoming Indiana University freshman from Minneapolis crashed an electric scooter on campus and died from his injuries.

He was riding an e-scooter on Tenth Street near Eagleson Avenue at 2:15 a.m., IU police said, across from the Wells Library. Witnesses said he hit a bump, lost control of the scooter and crashed.

He was taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital, then transferred to an Indianapolis hospital, where he died.

Electric scooters are a convenient and quick alternative to walking to campus destinations. But are they safe?

A fleet of electric scooters was introduced to Bloomington in 2018, and a conversation over their safety soon followed. In October of that year, a 20-year-old IU student was transported by ambulance to IU Health Bloomington Hospital with a serious head injury after crashing a motorized scooter. The following month, a 23-year-old man was arrested on a preliminary charge of drunken driving after crashing a motorized scooter.

Since then, residents and visitors alike have seen riders racing in bike lanes or shuffling along with cars in street traffic. Once the users reach their destinations, the scooters can be typically found splayed out across sidewalk paths or leaned against nearby buildings.

More:Here's how to get from Bloomington to Indianapolis or Chicago without a car

The scooters are fast, easily accessible and convenient for many students taking short trips through campus or around the city. Riders only have to use their smartphone to borrow an e-scooter from companies Lime, Bird or Veo, with the fee rate tied to rental time. These scooters can help you make it to that early morning class in time or are a quick, easy way to travel home late at night.

"Students often see them as a toy and a quick way to get around campus, but they are dangerous and they should be treated like a vehicle," IUPD public information officer Hannah Skibba said.

From the archive:No scooter ban, but IU trustees still concerned

While IU has specific policies in place for safe scooter usage, previous safety campaigns and advisories haven't seemed to reach or resonate with its student body.

"Everybody tries to think that they understand and can be capable of handling them, but obviously there's situations that happen every day out of our control. You never know what could happen," IU senior Grace McNeal said.

IU officials are trying to change that lack of education by launching a new slate of initiatives centered around safe e-scooter usage.

While these scooters can reach about 20 miles per hour, many students don't act like they are operating a vehicle that can injure them. As evidenced by the crime reports from IUPD, major injuries do occur.

In one case reported this year, two riders, one on an e-scooter and another on an e-bicycle, collided at Dunn Woods. The e-scooter rider suffered a broken knee cap from the crash. In another recent instance, IUPD responded to a report of a student suffering a serious head injury after crashing a scooter on the sidewalk.

Anecdotally, McNeal reports a similar account of seeing scooter-related injuries throughout her time as a student on campus.

While McNeal noted she hasn't personally been injured, "I've had at least three friends get major scrapes on their faces (from falling)." One friend even had to quickly swerve out of the way of a car whose driver didn't see them on the street in a close call, McNeal described.

More:Responsible ridership and the importance of a helmet

During her freshman year, McNeal and a friend were late to class and tried to ride an e-scooter together. Their attempt failed, as they kept falling off, with neither of them seriously injured. While McNeal said she hasn't tried that again, her friend recently tried to ride one with her boyfriend just a few weeks ago. As a result, they tipped over and were badly scraped up.

At IU's first football game of the season, Skibba noted an officer stopped two people riding on one scooter and had a conversation with them about the dangers of the practice.

"We like to just have educational conversations with our students. Because, like I said, a lot of it is just lack of education," Skibba said.

Skibba noted not all scooter-related injuries are reported to IUPD for a variety of reasons, such as the operator being intoxicated and fearful of legal repercussions. If students are injured, they can receive urgent help from first responders through Indiana's lifeline law provides immunity for crimes of public intoxication, minor possession, minor consumption and minor transport to people who reveal themselves to law enforcement while seeking medical assistance.

"We want to make sure that people are reaching out for help if they need it, so you're protected under the lifeline law, as long as you cooperate with police," Skibba said. "We're not trying to get people in trouble. We just want to keep people safe."

Scooters are allowed to be driven in bike lanes, streets and "uncrowded sidewalks outside the city center," as regulated by the city.

"A campus environment, especially down in Bloomington, where there is so much pedestrian traffic and vehicular traffic, it's just dangerous. So if we can kind of keep (the scooters) on streets or neighborhoods that are adjacent to campus, those are a safer option for our students," Skibba advised.

When she rides on a scooter, McNeal tries to practice caution. Any time she goes for a scooter ride, it's usually late at night without many cars on the street.

"I'm generally a paranoid person. I'm paranoid about, like, cars and stuff, so I always do it when I feel safe," McNeal said.

While e-scooters are used for quick convenience, some students also use them as regular transportation. Ever since he moved a few miles from campus over the summer, IU senior Channing Ge drives an e-scooter to campus every day as part of his new routine. While a scooter is his primary form of transportation, it's also a source of anxiety.

"I mean, it gets pretty dangerous," Ge said.

Speed is a problem, Ge noted. Because the scooter can get out of control, Ge tries to drive at a near-walking pace while in a bike lane or uncrowded sidewalk. He's always cautious around pedestrians, expressing worry they'll suddenly veer into his path and he'll be unable to make a quick stop.

When he can't use multi-use paths on his route, he has to drive in the street, which posits a new slate of safety concerns.

"If I ride a scooter, I have to really negotiate with cars on the road," Ge noted.

It's especially dangerous at night, he said. Ge personally hasn't had any accidents or close calls, but that idea is always in the back of his mind each ride.

After only a few weeks of using an e-scooter, Ge has ordered a bicycle. In addition to this being a cost-saving decision, Ge said he will soon just use a bicycle because it is safer and easier to control.

The university has a webpage dedicated to policies for motorized scooters, and the city of Bloomington has similar guidelines available on its website. Bird has a specific webpage that describes Bloomington's best safety guidelines while Veo and Lime has general safety advisories available online.

None have a prominent safety campaign on campus. The scooters are provided by private companies, with usage regulated by city ordinances, so there's not a lot that IU can independently do in terms of regulation, IU Chief Health Officer Aaron Carroll said.

University personnel plan to speak with city officials soon to discuss possible regulation changes for scooter usage, such as limiting the hours of the day they can be used. Any change would have to be proposed and passed by Bloomington elected officials.

In late 2019, Indiana University's board of trustees expressed concern over e-scooters, but the IU student government argued the problem was a lack of awareness and education surrounding safety practices — not the scooters themselves. IU officials seem to still agree.

Carroll said IU will launch a series of safety campaigns, but the nature of the e-scooter as a vehicle presents unique challenges. For many students, this is the first time they've used an e-scooter.

"They go pretty fast. They don't have safety equipment. People are often probably more inclined to use them when they feel like they can't drive, which means if it's bad weather or they're intoxicated," Carroll said.

A lot of e-scooter use also happens at night, which is when accidents are more likely to occur.

Carroll noted many users don't know or practice the best safety tips for riding an e-scooter, such as wearing a helmet or having at least one ear free of headphones.

An e-scooter isn't like inline skates or bicycles, where safety equipment is usually stored alongside it.

"With (the scooters), you're in the middle of the day. You have nothing on you. You're not gonna go get it because that's what you need the scooter for. No one is thinking in that way, the activity and the safety should be bundled. It's a disconnect."

Carroll said IU will host a series of initiatives to reach students in forms of social media posts, emails and webinars.

While students have been difficult to reach in previous safety campaigns, Carroll said recent tragedies should be a sobering reminder for students to listen up. McNeal agreed it's the user's responsibility to be vigilant and cautious while using an e-scooter.

University officials will continue to look at new ways to promote better scooter safety, with Skibba noting a laissez-faire culture can take work to overturn.

"I think we just have to keep the conversation going. It's not just a simple video on Facebook or Instagram. It's not just a poster in a hallway," Skibba said. "We really have to get out into our communities and talk about the dangers of these (scooters). It's going to take a lot of work, and I think we have a lot of people who are on board at IU and who are really committed to helping make a change on our campuses for this."

Indiana University offers the following safety tips for e-scooter operation: