Wichita could be the next city across the United States to have electric scooters on its streets.

City officials are speaking out about safety initiatives after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently launched an investigation in the rise of e-scooter injuries.

“Some of the bad issues that have popped up over the last couple of years for scooters is the fact that they’ve just come into cities, and then dealt with the problems afterwards,” said Wichita Transit director Mike Tann.

Transit officials want to take a proactive approach when it comes to rider safety.

“We’re looking at every opportunity and every example to make sure we hone this down to something that’s both workable and acceptable,” Tann said.

Right now, the department is working on creating a guide for the possible scooter company and City of Wichita. It would outline responsibilities and regulations.

According to Tann, the city is looking at ways to not have the scooters interrupt how other people move around town — such as biking or walking.

“Some of the parks that we have around, we’re not going to allow them into the park but you can use them to get into the park,” he said. “Most people are walking their dogs or enjoying a nice stroll.”

The CDC study isn’t complete, but it reveals less than one-percent of riders wore a helmet.

During a Wichita City Council workshop in January, council members expressed concerns over helmets.

Tann realizes riders can’t be forced to wear helmets, so they’re turning toward education.

Gotcha, a e-scooter company hoping to serve Wichita, focuses on educating riders through several educational events when scooters are deployed.

“I think there’s such a lack of knowledge from the consumer,” said Gotcha CEO and founder Sean Flood.

The educational events focus on how to use the scooters properly and safely, which includes wearing a helmet.

“We distribute hundreds of free helmets in each market, and we provide discounted helmets for people ongoing through the process,” Flood said.

Gotcha CEO said e-scooters are still a new mode of transportation and expects to see “wrong-user behavior,” which is why education plays an important role in safety.

“If we as an industry don’t educate, then we’ll never kind of push it forward. So we spend a lot more time and money on the education and then physical…giving a person a helmet,” Flood said.

Wichita officials plan to work with interested scooter companies to make sure injuries stay low.

“We’re making sure that we’re being proactive in regards to adding those things, and really enforce that safety is one of the most important aspects of this pilot program,” said Tann.

According to transit officials, city council could vote on bringing e-scooters by next month.