Accidents waiting to happen.

[Notafettler]

Took down speed cameras at Burwell years back. The locals obviously knew. Very dodgy spot, speed limit 40 mph on an A road. Crashes regularly. For instance Lorry through pub wall. Lorry on it's side in ladies garden twice. Constant car crashes mainly cars loosing it on corner ending up in fields. Ambulance driver told me he had to swerve off road to avoid accident. Bound to be serious one eventually. Neighbors boy came around corner to find a 3 car collision with one car on fire. Managed to get 7 out with the help of a lady and drag them down the road. Alas didn't get the eighth one out, before all the cars burst into flames. As you can guess the person who caused it was uninjured. He's was photographed shouting at the burning cars "w**kers" and waving his fist. Photo of 2 air ambulances on the ground with paramedics at work and the coastguard helicopter coming into land. Now they have a police van there almost constantly...bit late for that.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Bristol has a problem with highly localised gravitational anomalies which oddly result in cars ending up on their roof.

 

[fossyant]

I've sped down our road on a kids micro scooter (it's on a hill), with the other slung over my back before now (collecting both kids from school) -the ones with 3" wheels. Fortunately, our road has no pot holes, and I'm sure doing about 20 mph on one of these when it suddenly stops on a stone is going to hurt.

I've messed about on my kids scooters enough to know they are unpredictable on anything other than a clear smooth surface. I've raced my son around on one, and at least with a micro scooter, if it loses grip, you've usually got a leg ready to put on the ground as you scoot along.

I'm not sure these electric ones are terribly safe in traffic, and with the state of our roads. That said they are great fun in the right places.

 

[captain nemo1701]

Just seen it outside my home office window:

Young kid on e-scooter racing up & down street. It looked like an e-scooter but had a seat. Does this make it an e-moped?.

Woman on other side of road balances two shopping bags on either side of handlebars of e-scooter. Then rides off...wobbling around on pavement.

So much for private escooters still being illegal. Folk don't give a s**t.

Meantime, our Tory metro-mayor (why the feck do we need this guy??) praises them. Waiting for accident stats to come in and all those tales of woe and grief in the tabloids about 'young Johnny...so tragic...crushed by HGV on escooter 'etc, etc...

To really control them, ban all shop & internet sales. I'll bet people who have accidents riding them may get a shock when they realise that their health/life insurance probably won't cover escooters as they are illegal.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Pretty sure bicycles would be banned by some here if they were invented today.

 

[sheddy]

CUK statement
https://www.cyclinguk.org/blog/striking-balance-e-scooters

 

[HMS_Dave]

I don't think they are a bad thing. Just the pillocks that ride them. It requires two traits we don't do well at controlling. Restraint and Common Sense... Won't be long before it's on the news about some toddler getting mowed down by one or an elderly person gets a broken hip after being ploughed into.

I think comparing them to cars is a little disingenuous as i doubt many are going to ditch their car for a scooter. At the end of the day the bicycle didn't replace the horse and cart, so really is likely to make the roads just that little more unsafe.

They are the next fad i thinks, a novelty toy that will be good fun and hopefully enjoyed responsibly...

 

[Wookee]

I've been doing some work with those who are looking to legislate e-scooters and they do need to be brought into legislation properly. There is enough evidence from around the world to be able to bring in something sensible for them. Hopefully it will be a 12.5mph limit, specified scooters only, allowed anywhere a cycle can go on roads up to 30mph, no helmet or insurance requirement, lights and 2 forms of braking required, drink,drug and mobile phone laws apply, all users must hold a driving licence (provisional or full).

The idea is to allow them but make sure it is controlled through effective legislation. I'm not holding my breath that they will do what has been recommended though. There is a micro mobility consultation somewhere online where you can have your say too.

 

[Drago]

Who is looking to legislate them? Why are these people not working to promote existing green transport, such as walking or cycling?

What is being done to address instability under emergency braking from V Max?

 

[Wookee]

Who is looking to legislate them? Why are these people not working to promote existing green transport, such as walking or cycling?

What is being done to address instability under emergency braking from V Max?

The DfT are leading it. The current laws are pretty much unworkable as they are all treated as "cars" and there are vast differences in build and performance. Larger wheels are one of the criteria being looked at with regards stability.

Everyone can have their say in it online.

 

[captain nemo1701]

And how are they policing the uber-fast ones?. It's all very well saying they'll be restricted but faster ones are out there being used.
And they do undermine Boris Bunter's obesity plan in the same way driving does - both are activities which require low effort since the machine does it for you.

 

[Drago]

The DfT are leading it. The current laws are pretty much unworkable as they are all treated as "cars" and there are vast differences in build and performance. Larger wheels are one of the criteria being looked at with regards stability.

Everyone can have their say in it online.

That's not quite corrwct. They're not "looking" to legislate them. They're investigating the matter to see if it would be desirable or reasonably possible. Then, and only then, will they look to legislate anything. The current project is entirely investigative and should not be misrepresented as otherwise.

 

[captain nemo1701]

The lady I saw wobbling along the pavement on an escooter made me think 'Just get a bike with panniers'. Then she could have legally ridden on the road, carried her shopping safely and got some healthy exercise at the same time.

But...

Our culture is entirely orientated to convenience. This was illustrated a few weeks back when a McDonald's reopened and had a traffic jam waiting to get into the supposedly 'convenient' drive-through. So this lady was an accident waiting to happen, balancing full plastic bags off the scooter handlebars and wobbling along the pavement instead of the road. Thus, convenience & 'easy option' (press button, something is done for you) dominate.

Didn't look easy to me the way she was wobbling.....

 

[Drago]

Well, the trial is going well. Not.

The roll out to Hartlepool has been cancelled following widespread abuse of the scheme in Middlesborough and masses of complaints. Whether the trial will now be rolled out to other towns and regions as planned is now open to question.

Good start, eh?

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I've been doing some work with those who are looking to legislate e-scooters and they do need to be brought into legislation properly. There is enough evidence from around the world to be able to bring in something sensible for them. Hopefully it will be a 12.5mph limit, specified scooters only, allowed anywhere a cycle can go on roads up to 30mph, no helmet or insurance requirement, lights and 2 forms of braking required, drink,drug and mobile phone laws apply, all users must hold a driving licence (provisional or full).

The idea is to allow them but make sure it is controlled through effective legislation. I'm not holding my breath that they will do what has been recommended though. There is a micro mobility consultation somewhere online where you can have your say too.

Power is nothing without control