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fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
E-Scooters - One death and a serious injury this weekend
- Thread starter fossyant
- Start date
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swee'pea99
Legendary Member
"A 25-year-old man on an electric scooter has died after being hit by a van in Paris in the first deadly collision with a vehicle since they appeared on the streets of the French capital a year ago."
The first in a year. Hardly armageddon.
Yes, if these are allowed on the roads, people will get hurt. Some will get killed. Getting people around a big city, on a population-level scale, is never going to be risk-free. But considering the environmental benefits, these have to be part of any rational solution for city transport from here on in.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
A very practical attitude, perhaps you could explain it to the family of the person who was the killed that he was collateral damage in the quest for a greener planet. I'm sure they'd understand.
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Grauniad:
Mayor Anne Hidalgo says electric scooters have fallen into a legal grey zone and after repeated complaints and a spate of injuries and near misses, the mayor and police want to limit speeds to 20km/h (12mph) in most areas and 8km/h (5mph) in areas with heavy foot traffic, and prohibit parking anywhere but designated spaces. Hidalgo also plans to limit the number of operators to three and cap the number of scooters.
The city already imposes €135 (£120) fines for riding on the pavement and €35 (£31) fines for blocking the pavement while parked. Operators are charged by the city for any broken scooters that need to be picked up by municipal workers.
swee'pea99
Legendary Member
Well by the same token surely we should ban bicycles. After all, cyclists get killed. Oh, and cars - lots of deaths. And motorbikes. And aeroplanes. And...Oh bugger it, let's just all stay at home.
That's curious then, an e-scooter is classified as a "personal light electric vehicle" (PLEV) and subject to tax, mot, insurance etc Yet electric mobility scooters ( which often have my heart in my mouth) not so?
The government really needs to get a move on.
Rusty Nails
We remember
- Location
- Living in the slow lane
I think you are right. The big problem will be sorting out the infrastructure to cope with vastly increased numbers of cyclists and scooterists(?), and overcoming the complaints of the motoring lobby. We cannot just think of adding to the present traffic, but of changing the balance between cars and two-wheels. Plus the already mentioned power/speed limits on electric two-wheeledtransport.
I suspect some form of licensing/insurance battles ahead.
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fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Article in The Metro today about users of the hire scooters sueing the companies in the States as the scooters have suddenly come to a stop - yeh like a small obstical in the road - they do that !!
OP
OP
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Anyway, I may have ridden a kids micro scooter like a loonatic racing my son some times (leg powered) - I know I've done about 20 mph down our road (on a hill) with the other scooter in a rucksack when picking the kids up from school - not entirely safe on 4" wheels.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
But as @swee'pea99 has been valiantly and courageously trying to point out, what way of doing 20mph is entirely safe? Even carting tons of metal motor vehicle with airbags and impact bars doesn't completely protect you and definitely doesn't protect those you might hit much.
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fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
Yep. There are two classes. Class 2 must not be operated on the road and have a max speed of 4mph. Class 3 may be used on the road, has a limit of 8mph and must be registered with the DVLA. It must also have a 4mph limiter for use when not on road. It must have horn, lights, indicators, brakes and - if used on a dual carriageway (50mph road max), an amber flashing light!
Class 3 invalid carriages are not allowed in cycle lanes or bus lanes.
Getting back to Scooters - the Government is under pressure from scooter hire companies to bring the law up to date so that they can operate.
glasgowcyclist
Charming but somewhat feckless
- Location
- Scotland
There's one regularly uses a segregated cycle lane on my usual route, I can't see any problem with it. She's much safer there than on the carriageway.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Legally, cycle *lanes* are the ones with painted lines in the carriageway. I wonder if they're allowed on cycleways next to carriageways (usually kerbed) or cycle tracks (away from carriageways) or bridleways (can be almost anything but exists on the definitive map).
But I donˋt see a problem with 8mph scooters on any of them them either, as long as there is sufficient width past any obstructions and reasonable opportunities for 10mph cycles to pass them.
I agree - that's just wot the law says. It needs some sensible updating.
Sensible upper speed limits for shared spaces and sensible limits for cycle lanes.
We have a cycle lane here in Walton (Terrace Road) that caused terrible anger as it required narrowing of the road. It veers between "shared" and segregated depending on available road width. People get *incensed* when cyclists use the road and don't seem to get that the "cycle lane" isn't aimed at people in lycra doing 20 to 25mph (NB faster than the average speed in a car ho ho), it's aimed at children going to school, cautious riders etc. I use it with my daughter, although there are places where the road is frankly safer due to the poorly thought out parts (lots of crossing of junctions, and a few "blind" crossings).
Sensible upper speed limits for shared spaces and sensible limits for cycle lanes.
We have a cycle lane here in Walton (Terrace Road) that caused terrible anger as it required narrowing of the road. It veers between "shared" and segregated depending on available road width. People get *incensed* when cyclists use the road and don't seem to get that the "cycle lane" isn't aimed at people in lycra doing 20 to 25mph (NB faster than the average speed in a car ho ho), it's aimed at children going to school, cautious riders etc. I use it with my daughter, although there are places where the road is frankly safer due to the poorly thought out parts (lots of crossing of junctions, and a few "blind" crossings).
