Col Blanch says e-scooter rider who was killed in Bibra Lake crash likely travelling ‘well above’ speed limit

Police say an e-scooter rider killed in a crash in Bibra Lake on Tuesday was travelling on a high-powered device and likely above the 25km/h speed limit. Police commissioner Col Blanch said early investigations showed the 35-year-old male rider was travelling “well above” the speed limit when he crashed with a white Isuzu truck in Bibra Lake on Tuesday. “The early information on this death is that scooter was traveling perhaps well above the 25 km/h maximum, and that will be the subject to the investigation that’s currently been taken by major crash,” Mr Blanch said. “I think everyone’s aware of the regulations, and just saying you don’t know is probably not an acceptable answer. “I’d say this, you shouldn’t be able to purchase them in the first place, scooters that go that fast. “I think that comes down to the importation of scooters that can exceed the 25 km/h limit by a significant amount.” Premier Roger Cook said the crash scene, at the intersection of Walliabup Way and Bibra Drive, was confronting. “Our thoughts go out to the family and everyone involved, I want to thank first responders also, who have had to experience a pretty grisly scene last night,” he said. “It’s another reminder that we need to look after each other on the roads, and welcome the parliamentary inquiry into our e-scooter safety regime. “We continue to look at what we can do in the long term to reduce death on our roads.” Last month, pedestrian Than Phan’s died after he was allegedly struck by a drunken backpacker speeding on a hire e-scooter. The City of Perth and City of Vincent suspended their hire e-scooter programs in the wake of the tragedy. The WA government moved to establish a new parliamentary inquiry into the safety of e-rideables in the wake of his death, which includes e-scooters and e-bikes. Road Safety and Police Minister Reece Whitby previously said he would speak to his fellow police ministers around the country about banning the importation of high-powered e-rideables, which are still available to purchase in shops and online. Rules around the importation of the devices falls on the Commonwealth. The State Parliament’s Community Development and Justice Standing Committee has been asked to investigate and overhaul the use of e-rideables in WA, with tougher penalties, night-time curfews and a footpath ban in pedestrian areas among options the committee has been asked to consider. The committee, chaired by Nationals MP Peter Rundle, will be asked to report back by the end of September. The inquiry will compare injury data between privately owned e-rideables and hire schemes, which have been the subject of intense scrutiny. E-scooters — which are considered e-rideables — are subject to the same mobile phone, drink and drug-driving laws as car drivers. Only one person is allowed to ride an e-scooter at a time and it is illegal to ride one on a road with a speed limit above 50km/h, with the maximum limit allowed across roads, bike paths and shared paths being 25km/h. The speed allowed on footpaths when using an e-rideable is 10km/h.