pe2dave
Established Member
Pocket lint article
e-scooter trial, London
- Thread starter pe2dave
- Start date
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Argus
Established Member
..............and a bloke walking in front carrying a red flag! 
pe2dave
Established Member
Law is quoted in the article.
Cabinetman
Established Member
Probably literally underneath the first four when the idiots do something stupid.
There was a typical bad lad breaking all the rules in town the other day riding an illegal one of these without a helmet at least 30 miles an hour dodging in and out of heavy traffic. Prime candidate for a Darwin award.
Forgive me for being a bit dumb but what exactly is the distinction between 'privately owned' by 'individuals' and 'privately owned' by 'ltd company'?
gregmcateer
Established Member
Pils,
Private individuals, e.g. you and me cannot ride around on them, but private limited companies can own them and RENT THEM OUT to private individuals. Does seem a bit mad, but I assume the logic is that the rental company will have to insure them and maintain them and they will be easier to hold liable in the event of the inevitable... watch this space.
I'm only the messenger
Private individuals, e.g. you and me cannot ride around on them, but private limited companies can own them and RENT THEM OUT to private individuals. Does seem a bit mad, but I assume the logic is that the rental company will have to insure them and maintain them and they will be easier to hold liable in the event of the inevitable... watch this space.
I'm only the messenger
Terry - Somerset
Established Member
A typically daft piece of legislation in my view - we allow bikes but not scooters?
Two wheeled bikes are ubiquitous - some pedal power, some electrically assisted. Cyclists are fundamentally more vulnerable on 2 wheels compared to 4 surrounded by a steel exoskeleton (car). Most cyclists ride sensibly and defensively - but a few idiots put both themselves at greater risk and behave antisocially.
Why should scooters be any different - smaller wheels may make them less stable, but step off may be easier than fall off.
Idiots will modify them to go faster, ride stupidly and/or anti-socially (on pavements) etc. Ultimately both fall foul of the Darwinian solution.
Two wheeled bikes are ubiquitous - some pedal power, some electrically assisted. Cyclists are fundamentally more vulnerable on 2 wheels compared to 4 surrounded by a steel exoskeleton (car). Most cyclists ride sensibly and defensively - but a few idiots put both themselves at greater risk and behave antisocially.
Why should scooters be any different - smaller wheels may make them less stable, but step off may be easier than fall off.
Idiots will modify them to go faster, ride stupidly and/or anti-socially (on pavements) etc. Ultimately both fall foul of the Darwinian solution.
yeah, the 'logic'... :]
Blackswanwood
Still Learning
In the good old days I found in European cities where they were in use that as a pedestrian the risk of being hit by someone on a scooter felt much greater than by a cyclist. A cyclist is high up, easier for them to see what is happening and be seen and tend to not ride on pavements (legally or illegally) as much.
Cabinetman
Established Member
I have just remembered when I was 12 in 1967 a friend of mine at school arrived one day on an electric battery powered bicycle that his dad had acquired from somewhere, it was very old then so may have been built before the war? It had two big car batteries slung on a frame where the pedals would have been. Typical him he got stopped by the police on his way home and he got done properly for it. Probably an early prosecution of what’s about to happen now with these things.
Not quite so classy as another friend of mine who's dad in those days was into ex WD stuff and he arrived one day at school quite legally this time on an old but straight out of the box Matchless 350. I can’t remember exactly how much he said his dad had paid for it but it was peanuts. Ian
Not quite so classy as another friend of mine who's dad in those days was into ex WD stuff and he arrived one day at school quite legally this time on an old but straight out of the box Matchless 350. I can’t remember exactly how much he said his dad had paid for it but it was peanuts. Ian
I would have thought that under the road traffic act from who knows when, anything powered by a source of energy would be classed as a mechanically propelled vehicle and so why are electric scooters any different, if some muppet racing through a shopping centre at 25 mph collides with someone and leaves them disabled they have no insurance cover, same for any damage they cause to other peoples property.
pe2dave
Established Member
They aren't 'different' Classification made clear in the article I posted.
Have re read the article, do not see why some form of head protection is not required, suppose they are leaving it open like bicycles for the rider to decide in which case they should have insurance to cover hospital bills. Know a guy who litteraly fell off his bike as he came to a halt and was only wearing a bobble hat, three weeks in hospital so why not make helmets compulsory on scooters, bikes etc and save lives and NHS money.
Are you telling us that given the chance, you'd have turned Robin Hood in to the authorities ?.
pe2dave
Established Member
If I'd been the one to be mown down on a pavement? Yep.
Terry - Somerset
Established Member
The law is pointless unless it is enforced.
Reality - the police do not routinely enforce the law so far as either electric bikes or scooters are concerned. They may do in the event of a serious accident - otherwise infractions are ignored.
Police have lots of other pressures on them and need to prioritise. Failing to wear a helmet and riding on the pavement doesn't get high up the list.
Reality - the police do not routinely enforce the law so far as either electric bikes or scooters are concerned. They may do in the event of a serious accident - otherwise infractions are ignored.
Police have lots of other pressures on them and need to prioritise. Failing to wear a helmet and riding on the pavement doesn't get high up the list.
