PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Portland Bureau of Transportation is giving away 500 free helmets on Thursday as a part of a e-scooter safety event aimed at educating the public.
The event will happen Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the intersection of Southwest Broadway and Oak. The 500 helmets will be given on a first come, first serve basis. Safety information on e-scooters will also be provided.
Representatives from three e-scooter companies — Bird, Skip and Lime — will also be in attendance.
PBOT also want to remind people that it’s state law to wear a helmet while riding an e-scooter.
The 120-day e-scooter pilot program, which started in July and will end on Nov. 20, is nearly halfway finished. As of Aug. 30, there were a total of 178,233 rides, traveling a total distance of 270,028 miles, which equates to an average of 1.5 miles per ride. The longest single ride taken was 22 miles.
For more information on e-scooters in Portland, click here.