In Massachusetts, e-scooters mostly show up in:

• Dense urban and inner-suburban areas including Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Lowell, and Somerville, where there are active pilot programs or increased permitting history for shared scooter fleets.
• Bike lanes and streets, not sidewalks. Massachusetts law and most municipal rules require scooters to stay off sidewalks and use roadways or bike lanes instead.
• Short-hop, last-mile trips to reach a train, bus, or T station, or replacing short car trips under three miles. (We all know how challenging (and expensive!) parking can be if you lose a favored parking spot on the street).

When Brookline ran the state’s first shared e-scooter pilot, it logged nearly 189,000 trips and more than 25,000 unique riders. More than 40% of the town’s entire population tried it at least once. Most trips were short: about a mile, taking roughly 10 minutes. Riders reported using scooters as a genuine substitute for driving alone, ride-hailing, and carpooling, which is part of why cities have kept experimenting with the model despite its growing pains.

Boston itself doesn’t currently have an active citywide shared (rentable) scooter program after earlier pilots with Bird and Lime ended. Brookline and a handful of other municipalities have run their own shared pilots, and rules may vary town to town. For example, Fall River bans e-scooters from sidewalks, Agawam restricts them from higher-speed roads, and Marlborough caps speeds at 20 mph. Lowell does not yet have a general public e-scooter rental program, however, the city did launch an e-bike sharing pilot program in May 2026.

The Legal Basics (Current Massachusetts Law)

Under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 90, Section 1E, motorized scooters (which currently cover e-scooters) come with rules that are stricter than in many other states:

• A valid driver’s license or learner’s permit is required to operate one on public ways.
• Helmets are mandatory for all riders.
• No riding after sunset or before sunrise.
• Top speed is capped at 20 mph, and riders must keep to the right side of the road at all times, including when passing a car.
• No passengers — one rider per scooter.
• Scooters can use most public roads and bike lanes, but not limited-access highways or roads posted against scooters/bicycles.

That said, this framework may change given increasing use of micromobility options by Bay State residents. Governor Healey’s “Ride Safe Act” and a related House proposal, built on recommendations from the state’s Special Commission on Micromobility, would create a tiered system based on a scooter or e-bike’s top speed, with separate rules for each tier, mandatory helmets, and new age restrictions for faster devices. If you’re buying a scooter now, it’s worth checking for updates before you ride, since local ordinances (and possibly state law) may shift.

What the Injury Data Shows

The safety numbers reveal something every prospective buyer should consider, and several patterns repeat across various nationwide studies. 

• Head injuries are common…and serious. Research on e-scooter crashes has found that roughly half of injuries are to the head, with a meaningful share classified as severe traumatic brain injuries.
• Sidewalks are a frequent crash site. One emergency department study found that 44% of e-scooter incidents occurred on sidewalks, reinforcing why cities restrict scooters to roads and bike lanes.
• Injuries among kids are rising. Some research has tracked a jump in the share of pediatric e-scooter injuries requiring hospitalization over the past decade. Led by childhood injury experts at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, the study shows children accounted for more than 45% of e-scooter-related injuries, including head injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and broken bones.

Safety Guidelines Before You Buy

If you’re considering the purchase (or use) of an e-scooter, here are a few things to weigh alongside e-scooter price and top speed: 

1. Check the speed rating against your comfort level and the law. Massachusetts caps scooters at 20 mph on public ways. A scooter capable of much more doesn’t make it legal to use at that speed.
2. Look for solid brakes and larger wheels. Smaller wheels are more prone to catching on cracks, potholes, and storm grates, a major cause of sidewalk and street falls.
3. To legally operate a motorized scooter in Massachusetts, you must have a valid driver’s license or learner’s permit.
4. Unless the existing law changes, plan to ride only during daylight hours, in line with the state’s sunset-to-sunrise riding ban. Also, stick to roadways and bike lanes, as sidewalk riding is illegal. 
5. Include the cost of a GOOD helmet. They are legally required in Massachusetts. Plus, head injuries are the single most common serious outcome in crash data, so buy one that is comfortable to wear…and wear it! 

E-scooters can genuinely be a useful way to limit automobile use and to avoid traffic (and delays!) where road congestion is greatest. But the injury data is a legitimate reason to take safety seriously rather than treat a scooter like a toy. Wearing a good, safety-rated helmet, sticking to main roads and bike lanes, and riding only during daylight hours goes a long way. As Massachusetts law may shift with the passage of the Ride Safe Act, staying abreast of Massachusetts-specific e-scooter rules is also important. 

Marcotte Law Firm has experience representing those injured by e-scooters. Because of the cases we’ve handled, we know that safety is paramount when considering use of any micromobility device. One could easily find themselves added to micromobility device research statistics if rules of the road aren’t followed or safety deprioritized, and that is an outcome we hope to avoid. 

This post is for general informational purposes and isn’t legal advice. Always check current state and local ordinances before riding.