[Travel] UK Electric Scooter Law... You decide.

[rippleman]

Compulsory Insurance
Compulsory Helmets, Yellow Safety Vest
Compulsory Lights and Mirrors
Only for use in cycle lanes/roads - Banned from pavements
Speed limitation 15mph

You covered all my points. But then we have enforcement. In the same way I see the police turning a blind eye to cyclists on the pavements, they appear to do nothing about powered scooters whether they are being ridden on the road or the pavement, both of which are currently illegal.

Is there any point in bringing in new legislation if there is no will on the part of the police to enforce it?

 

[vegster]

Ok. So first bullet point for you?

• Illegal to be used on public roads.

What about use on pavements and cycle lanes?

For pavements and cycle lanes they need to be speed limited.

 

[WATFORD zero]

About time for an update on the traffic laws.

Pavements only to be used by pedestrians and disabled scooters limited to 5mph
Cycle Lanes only to be used by self propelled cyclists/scooters/skateboards etc. Lights mandatory at night.
Any propelled vehicle (other than highlighted above) requires Insurance, Lights, MOT and a Mandatory test every 10 years (5 years from over 65) - More government income for the post Covid round of austerity.
Any propelled vehicle is only allowed on roads.
Beards and/or Tattoos are counted as a minor fault on any test, with the exception of skateboards where they will result in confiscation, regardless of method of propulsion.

All properly enforced. Darwinism will sort the rest out.

Simple

 

[McTavish]

Yes it would be better but it won't happen. In an ideal world there would be completely separate roads for motorised and non motorised but again, it won't happen. There is no safe solution for mixing the two, look at the cycle super highways in London, all very nice until a road junction where vehicles turn left across them or a bus stop when cyclists have to swerve into the middle of the road.

We can make all the noises we like about road safety but with the standard of some of the drivers/cyclists/electric scooter riders around there will always be deaths, absolutely no getting away from it. I've cycled miles and miles in France and only ever had to cross a not particularly busy road every now and then on a safe junction. We're packed in like sardines in the UK and everyone has about 30 cars, there is simply no room for anyone to be safely on a road in anything other than car, van or lorry.

There is no completely safe solution to driving at all. Motorised vehicles are inherently dangerous. Getting rid of bicycles or electric scooters will not get rid of deaths on the roads and would increase over all societal deaths. Fewer bike journeys would mean more car journeys resulting in more road deaths in cars, more pedestrian deaths, more deaths associated with pollution and more deaths due to lack of exercise.

All studies show that more people riding bikes is good for everyone. And more bikes on the road actually reduces the number of accidents as motorised vehicle drivers get more used to them and more and more car drivers are also cyclists and so are more likely to take care of other cyclists.

 

[Blue3]

Ok. For use on the road only? Or something else?

I do not think they are safe on roads cycle lanes and paved areas only

 

[Blue3]

Third party insurance compulsory for electric bikes? Since when?

Make the scooters subject to the same rules as bicycles. Not allowed on pavements, must have lights at night, must obey road signs, traffic lights, etc. - and bloody well rigidly enforce them - and for bikes too.

You miss read my point I am saying third party insurance should be a requirement for electric bikes and scooters, I was not saying insurance for electric bike is currently a requirement

 

[Blue3]

Ok. For use on the road only? Or something else?

Having used one I think the wheels are to small and as such have a tendency to flip if they encounter even a small pot hole or even worse the rider is zigzagging around these obstacles making them a danger to other road users, they should be used on cycle lanes and where appropriate paved ares only

 

[Blue3]

There is no completely safe solution to driving at all. Motorised vehicles are inherently dangerous. Getting rid of bicycles or electric scooters will not get rid of deaths on the roads and would increase over all societal deaths. Fewer bike journeys would mean more car journeys resulting in more road deaths in cars, more pedestrian deaths, more deaths associated with pollution and more deaths due to lack of exercise.

All studies show that more people riding bikes is good for everyone. And more bikes on the road actually reduces the number of accidents as motorised vehicle drivers get more used to them and more and more car drivers are also cyclists and so are more likely to take care of other cyclists.

I sort of agree the only point I would add is more cycle lanes are the answer electric scooters are potentially safe means of cheap transportation

 

[Westdene Seagull]

Third party insurance compulsory for electric bikes? Since when?

Make the scooters subject to the same rules as bicycles. Not allowed on pavements, must have lights at night, must obey road signs, traffic lights, etc. - and bloody well rigidly enforce them - and for bikes too.

This - they are no different to electric bikes. Very telling how the B&H 'Green' Council didn't decide to partake of the test scheme .... show's how 'green' they really are.

 

[blue-shifted]

This - they are no different to electric bikes. Very telling how the B&H 'Green' Council didn't decide to partake of the test scheme .... show's how 'green' they really are.

They are a bit different.

An electric bike won't get you over 15 mph. You still have to pedal and anything over that is your effort. The motor just makes it easier to get there.

E scooter. Just a flick of a button and you can get a very decent speed up with no effort needed from the rider.

Personally I don't think they should be grouped together.

Though I do think both should be part of a strategy to reduce the number of cars on the road.

 

[Westdene Seagull]

This is the most interesting talk I've seen on bicycle helmet use. I should add btw, I'm a cyclist and always wear a helmet and wouldn't let any of my kids on a bike on our roads without a helmet. But anyway, watch the video if you can. It's a brilliantly reasoned argument.

More than too evangelical for me to even mildly believe what he's saying. I assume he would be happy to debunk the wearing of seatbelts ? For starters there are plenty of scientific reports show the wearing of a helmet during cycling is a benefit to your safety - even for side impacts. As an example, Mrs WS a few years back was cycling to work and her bike got caught on a dropped manhole cover ( one the council hadn't maintained properly ). She fell and broke her wrist and injured her knee. During the fall her head hit the kerb - side on - thankfully she was wearing a helmet and it protected her. The A&E doctors said she'd probably have suffered brain damage if she hadn't been wearing the helmet. I struggle to understand why any cyclist wouldn't try and mitigate a risk for such a simple action as wearing a helmet. For what it's worth, I always ensure my kids are wearing a helmet when riding a bike.

 

[usernamed]

Why?

How about?... If only used on a limited mode.

As suggested above by Pint of Ale and a Burger.

No, pavements have to be able to cater for all levels of ability and experience, including the elderly, those with sensory impairments, small children with limited spatial awareness and of course those glued to their phones with their headphones on. Those scooters have some weight, and when things do go wrong, somebody’s getting pushed out into the road. Far too dangerous, plus there has to be somewhere safe from the tyranny of wheels.

I’m absolutely fine with them being banned, but if they must be allowed, then cycle lanes only, and you get off and push them should no cycle lane be available.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Timbo]

There is no completely safe solution to driving at all. Motorised vehicles are inherently dangerous. Getting rid of bicycles or electric scooters will not get rid of deaths on the roads and would increase over all societal deaths. Fewer bike journeys would mean more car journeys resulting in more road deaths in cars, more pedestrian deaths, more deaths associated with pollution and more deaths due to lack of exercise.

All studies show that more people riding bikes is good for everyone. And more bikes on the road actually reduces the number of accidents as motorised vehicle drivers get more used to them and more and more car drivers are also cyclists and so are more likely to take care of other cyclists.

All perfectly reasonable points and can't argue with any of it. I just think that the 'collateral' deaths of 100 cyclists every year plus countless other serious injuries is worth it, I for one wouldn't cycle on any roads anymore and our idea of cycle lanes in this country is absolutely laughable.

Anyway, back to the original point. Ban all electric scooters from anywhere other than private ground. I've yet to see anyone on one who didn't look like a bit of a dickhead.

 

[Garage_Doors]

If safety is your primary concern, wouldn't it be better to have fewer cars, vans and lorries on the roads. The latest figure show that during the first six months of last year, there was been a significant decrease in motorised traffic and an increase in cycling - overall result: 20% fewer deaths and 40% fewer casualties.

How do you propose these vans, lorries and some of these cars go about their business?

 

[McTavish]

How do you propose these vans, lorries and some of these cars go about their business?

They continue to go about their business but it is made easier and safer for people to use other forms of transport. Public transport is made cheaper and more frequent, cycling is made safer and more importantly is made to feel safer. This will make journeys for people who have no alternative - tradespeople, disabled drivers, delivery drivers - faster and easier. It really can be a virtuous circle.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

Not on pavements, never on pavements.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Why not. In my village, I could scoot from my house to the shops safely on a pavement on a scooter and not encounter a pedestrian from start to finish. Thing is, a scooter is so flexible and safe to use, you can just jump off and walk past a pedestrian before jumping back on to go about your way, same as a manual scooter. Perhaps rather than limiting speed, a law might just be that you revert to pushing it in pedestrian traffic.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Several pavements round here are designated for both cyclists and pedestians, as long as either aren't idiots then there is no problem. There have been no casualties that I have heard of over 10 years.

 

[Psychobilly freakout]

There for kids and drug dealers

 

[zefarelly]

Make them legal with the proviso that the owner has suitable third party insurance the same for electric bikes

Same as mobility scooters, restricted to 8mph or whatever it is . . .if you want to do 30mph get a lid, license No plate and insurance

 

[spongy]

More than too evangelical for me to even mildly believe what he's saying. I assume he would be happy to debunk the wearing of seatbelts ? For starters there are plenty of scientific reports show the wearing of a helmet during cycling is a benefit to your safety - even for side impacts. As an example, Mrs WS a few years back was cycling to work and her bike got caught on a dropped manhole cover ( one the council hadn't maintained properly ). She fell and broke her wrist and injured her knee. During the fall her head hit the kerb - side on - thankfully she was wearing a helmet and it protected her. The A&E doctors said she'd probably have suffered brain damage if she hadn't been wearing the helmet. I struggle to understand why any cyclist wouldn't try and mitigate a risk for such a simple action as wearing a helmet. For what it's worth, I always ensure my kids are wearing a helmet when riding a bike.

Two years ago I went over the bars of MTB. Got tangled up in the bike on the way over and couldn't put my hands out to stop my fall. I landed very hard on the side of my head and cracked my helmet. It saved my life.

Mtb helmets are safer as they also offer protection for the back of the head as well, not just the top like road cycle helmets.