One of our top priorities at Bird is the safety of our Flyers and our community. This article will cover some helpful safety tips that you should always keep in mind when capturing, moving, charging, and releasing vehicles.
Capturing and Releasing Vehicles in the Wild
- Follow traffic laws when capturing and releasing vehicles, whether you are doing so by foot, vehicle, or car.
- Keep in mind that charging or moving Birds is not a valid defense if you get pulled over for a traffic violation.
- Park respectfully. Do not block public walkways or park in restricted zones in order to capture or release vehicles.
- Use caution at crosswalks and look out for pedestrians, fellow Bird riders, and cyclists, among others.
- Do not trespass or enter any private or public property without authorization. • Avoid confrontation and respect others in the community.
Charging
- •Make sure you have a safe place to charge. Vehicles are best charged indoors and on a hard surface (i.e. no carpet).
- Plug vehicles into an outlet with adequate electrical output.
How to Safely Move and Lift a Bird
- Grab the vehicle by the handlebar and lift.
- While lifting, have the baseboard rest on your shin to prevent it from swinging.
- While transporting a Bird, walk slowly to ensure that the Bird does not swing.
- Gently place the Bird down.
Charging in the Winter
Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind during winter or inclement weather.
For all tasks:
• Visibility is reduced and roads are more slippery in the winter, so please be extra cautious when driving, picking up, and releasing vehicles.
• If releases are cancelled for weather reasons, you will receive a text message with instructions on what to do and when it is safe to release again.
If weather ever seems unsafe for Birds to be out in the wild and you did not receive a weather-related text messages, do not release the Bird. Instead, write into the in-app Help section for instructions on when it is safe to release the Bird. Please also make sure that your phone number on file is up-to-date.
For charge tasks:
• Always charge vehicles in covered and dry environments.
• When charging vehicles, make sure that the charging port is dry. If the port cover has been removed, make sure that the power cord is dry before charging the vehicle.
• If the outside temperature is below 41°F (5ºC), wait at least one hour after the vehicle has reached room temperature to begin charging.
• Do not charge vehicles that have been underwater or covered in icicles or snow. If you see a Bird underwater or covered in ice, contact us via the Help section in the app, and our City Team will be sent for retrieval and further inspection.
• Make sure you are charging your vehicles in a safe space away from inclement weather. When the weather drops below 41°F (5ºC), refrain from charging vehicles outside: They are charged best at room temperature and in insulated environments.
As a reminder, do not:
• Put a heating blanket on the vehicles
• Put them in a room over 80ºF (27ºC)
• Heat them directly with any kind of electric/fuel heater
• Put them less than three feet (one meter) from any heating device (i.e. radiator, electric wall heater, etc.)
Vehicles Submerged in Water
If you come across a vehicle that is submerged in water (or that you suspect has been submerged in water at any point), do not touch or attempt to capture this vehicle. Instead, immediately report it to us using our in-app Help feature along with the location of the vehicle and a picture. We will have someone from our team retrieve the vehicle.
- Do NOT attempt to charge a vehicle that has been submerged in water.
- If it has been raining outside, please make sure that the vehicle you have captured is sufficiently dry before attempting to charge it. For more information about wet birds, click here.