Electric scooter rentals pop up in downtown Detroit

(WJBK) - There's a new, fun way to get around downtown Detroit.

It could mean less time sitting in traffic or searching for a place to park. We're talking electric scooters.

Dustin Walsh from Crain's Detroit Business visited FOX 2 to talk about the "scooter boom."

Walsh said the startup companies, most based in California, come in "seemingly overnight" and drop off dock less electric scooters. You have to download an app, put in a credit card, you scan the scooter, it unlocks and "away you go" at 15 miles an hour.

"It is uncharted territory for most cities in the United States," Walsh said. "These companies have taken over most metropolitan areas. Safety is a critical concern for these. ER visits are up 160 percent from falling. The car accidents are luckily few and far between.

"Everyone is trying to figure out how to navigate this (and) legislate this."

To hear more of Walsh's perspective on the new fad and the implications, watch the video above.