Does something need to be done about illegal/unlicenced/uninsured electric vehicles on our roads (and pavements)

in another domain I suspect re-mapping of EV cars is going to become a burgeoning industry, they, often have good traction control, but,
without that on ebikes/scooters they must be pretty scary on slippery roads, man powered bikes can be enough of a handfull.
 
cheesefest said:
On a side note, some people in mobility scooters have never drove a car and it shows. About 6 years ago, I was helping out on produce. Put out some bananas and an elderly lady drove into the back of my legs. Never apologised. Had bruises on front and back of legs.

Then there was a man driving max speed 8mph missing the corner colliding into the wine. He broke about 50 bottles. Do we drive at max when we are going around a corner in our cars? No!

Then some mobility scooters users don’t understand that can’t ride on roads. All of a sudden driving along a road driving a few mph. Cause? Old dear on mobility scooter riding on the road.
Click to expand...
I think, the probable reason this elderly was on the road and not the pavement: the pavement was probably too narrow, full of entitled motorists who had installed a dropped curb driveway and ruined the it, and constantly ended all the time.

That is, pretty much every UK council treat cyclists with contempt or an after though - aided by motorhead lobby and tabloids going on about a war on motorists - but who really gets the worst treatment is pedestrians. Councils continue do next to nothing for pedestrians.

Just consider a few things:
  1. Dual lanes roundabouts (even Spanish and Portuguese roundabout have zebra crossings) in city centres! Ever seen pensioners trying to cross near those? Even if 1 in 50 motorist stops to let them over, some speed nutter beeps them!
  2. Pavements which constantly break for:
    1. someone who had to install a driveway to the front of their house and was allowed the make the pavement there uneven. Why not insist that pavements never break and that anyone who installs a driveway has to install a big cast concrete curbstone with a 45°-60° edge which nobody would ever dare to drive more than 5 kph over?
    2. Why are those crazily super "open" bends into side roads, parking spaces allowed? Why not make the pavement continuous over these minor side roads and parking spaces with the above big cast concrete curbstone and have the rules of the road treat this as a zebra crossing with a speed bump? Why do car drivers think they can just pull out or in front of everyone walking?
  3. Even on large roads, a lot of the time a zebra crossing would barely slow down the speeding motorists driving bumper-to-bumper, but councils barely install them.
  4. Most pavements are far too narrow. Even brand new ones (planners haven't got a clue, don't care, or live elsewhere and always drive; or may all of that). The minimum width of pavement should be wide enough for two mobility scouter to pass each others comfortable. So about 1.5m minimum. Everything else should follow from that
    1. This rule should be for all urban areas: if there isn't enough space for the min 1.5m pavement, reduce the width of the road. Take away on-street parking (the cheapest land in the UK even where licensed)
    2. If a road is still too narrow for that, the make it one-way.
Once councils have done the above, then people whether elderly or children will start to feel safe when walking.

tyke_ said:
On the subject of mobility scooters they are more of a problem around where i live than e-bikes/scooters imo. they are often on the road doing 5 mph and taking up a lot of the road as they are quite a bit wider than bikes etc.
Click to expand...
The wide of a vehicle should not matter, unless car drivers try to squeeze past them as the usually try to do with bicycles despite it clearly being against the rule of the road.

adidan said:
As has been said, the issue isn't the mode of transport it's the user.

Like I say, I've been nearly mown down by mobility scooters, is that really a problem? No.

I appreciate they may be more prevalent in other places but is it really a problem, I mean really?
Click to expand...
Difference is, only one transport user regularly kills hundreds: car (and van, lorry) motorists.
Yes, there are selfish idiots in all walks of live.
However.
  1. Egoistic motor vehicles drivers kill thousands per year. (And main far more, plus intimated many people from walking or cycling).
  2. Egoistic bicycles kill maybe one person per year.
  3. Egoistic pedestrian kill maybe one person once every few years.
It is easy which group needs to prioritised in terms of safety.
 
ShiWarrior said:
They are calling for number players and insurance for ALL EV bikes and scooters etc i think

i heard they have it in another country ?
Click to expand...

You're getting mistaken for this
road.cc

Cyclists blast Italian government’s “extremely worrying” plans to introduce bike registration plates and insurance

But manufacturers say the reforms, which also include making helmets and bike indicators mandatory, are “more about stopping the spread of bicycles than increasing safety on the roads”
road.cc road.cc
 
ShiWarrior said:
They are calling for number players and insurance for ALL EV bikes and scooters etc i think

i heard they have it in another country ?
Click to expand...
First I'm hearing about it - nuts.

No joke, if they bring in insurance, number plates and tax for e-bikes, I'll just stop cycling and go everywhere by car.

Number plates on a bicycle is absolutely insane.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
If you read the post above yours it explains what he's on about, it's one bloke in another country.
Click to expand...
There's a load of recent noise from our own MPs from only two days ago, along the same lines. A few Tory nutters and "campaigners" apparently, in the wake of the three kids that died being chased by police. Again wanting license plates, insurance, tax, etc.
 
hyperseven said:
Why is it insane :confused:
Click to expand...
Ignoring for one second how ridiculous it is to put license plates on slow-moving exercise equipment... (my average cycle speed is ~11mph).

Have you ever ridden a pedal bike? Where are you going to stick this sodding huge license plate, for starters? They have to be a minimum size to be legible.

Try searching Google images for "pedal bike with license plate". It would be amusing if it weren't an actual proposal.

The fact that it hasn't yet been done anywhere apart from (apparently) North Korea might give you an idea of precisely how insane it is.
 
KompuKare said:
I think, the probable reason this elderly was on the road and not the pavement: the pavement was probably too narrow, full of entitled motorists who had installed a dropped curb driveway and ruined the it, and constantly ended all the time.

That is, pretty much every UK council treat cyclists with contempt or an after though - aided by motorhead lobby and tabloids going on about a war on motorists - but who really gets the worst treatment is pedestrians. Councils continue do next to nothing for pedestrians.

Just consider a few things:
  1. Dual lanes roundabouts (even Spanish and Portuguese roundabout have zebra crossings) in city centres! Ever seen pensioners trying to cross near those? Even if 1 in 50 motorist stops to let them over, some speed nutter beeps them!
  2. Pavements which constantly break for:
    1. someone who had to install a driveway to the front of their house and was allowed the make the pavement there uneven. Why not insist that pavements never break and that anyone who installs a driveway has to install a big cast concrete curbstone with a 45°-60° edge which nobody would ever dare to drive more than 5 kph over?
    2. Why are those crazily super "open" bends into side roads, parking spaces allowed? Why not make the pavement continuous over these minor side roads and parking spaces with the above big cast concrete curbstone and have the rules of the road treat this as a zebra crossing with a speed bump? Why do car drivers think they can just pull out or in front of everyone walking?
  3. Even on large roads, a lot of the time a zebra crossing would barely slow down the speeding motorists driving bumper-to-bumper, but councils barely install them.
  4. Most pavements are far too narrow. Even brand new ones (planners haven't got a clue, don't care, or live elsewhere and always drive; or may all of that). The minimum width of pavement should be wide enough for two mobility scouter to pass each others comfortable. So about 1.5m minimum. Everything else should follow from that
    1. This rule should be for all urban areas: if there isn't enough space for the min 1.5m pavement, reduce the width of the road. Take away on-street parking (the cheapest land in the UK even where licensed)
    2. If a road is still too narrow for that, the make it one-way.
Once councils have done the above, then people whether elderly or children will start to feel safe when walking.


The wide of a vehicle should not matter, unless car drivers try to squeeze past them as the usually try to do with bicycles despite it clearly being against the rule of the road.


Difference is, only one transport user regularly kills hundreds: car (and van, lorry) motorists.
Yes, there are selfish idiots in all walks of live.
However.
  1. Egoistic motor vehicles drivers kill thousands per year. (And main far more, plus intimated many people from walking or cycling).
  2. Egoistic bicycles kill maybe one person per year.
  3. Egoistic pedestrian kill maybe one person once every few years.
It is easy which group needs to prioritised in terms of safety.
Click to expand...
Mobility scooters afaik are not legal on uk roads. Even if they were, say 1 of them got road legal, I don't think they're safe to be on uk roads as they are too slow and too wide. From what i can see, atleast the 1's around here, they rarely use paths even when there is plenty of opportunity to do so. I understand using the road if a car driver parks their car on or partially on the pavement (this is a pet hate of mine) but they seem to use the road in preference to the pavement.
 
Last edited:
FoxEye said:
Ignoring for one second how ridiculous it is to put license plates on slow-moving exercise equipment... (my average cycle speed is ~11mph).

Have you ever ridden a pedal bike? Where are you going to stick this sodding huge license plate, for starters? They have to be a minimum size to be legible.

Try searching Google images for "pedal bike with license plate". It would be amusing if it weren't an actual proposal.

The fact that it hasn't yet been done anywhere apart from (apparently) North Korea might give you an idea of precisely how insane it is.
Click to expand...

Yes, quite often :rolleyes:

Now don't be silly they are not going to be car-sized ones just need to be read by modern camera systems.

Just think of all the money in fines for light jumpers/cutters.

45-F9-B70-B00000578-0-image-a-11-1509711140820.jpg
 
Last edited:
SexyGreyFox said:
I watch virtually every Police related documentary series where they pull motorbikes over with small plates bigger than that cycle one and they can't be read by ANPR etc.

bikenp.jpg
Click to expand...
That has big grey lines obscuring the plate which is illegal anyway.

Upgrade the cameras. Surely it is in the public interest.

The question is why don't certain people, even on here, want such a registration scheme?
 
Last edited:
hyperseven said:
Upgrade the cameras. Surely it is in the public interest.

The question is why don't certain people, even on here, want such a registration scheme?
Click to expand...

I think there's something like 11,000 ANPR cameras and you want them all upgrading just so little number plates can be seen :)
You've then got to upgrade all the normal CCTV and cameras in Police cars etc just so little Johnny who played with his own life going through a red light.

You can bring it on for me, I already pay insurance, vehicle tax will be zero, I always wear a helmet, use mirrors and lights and ride in a bright jacket.
I MOT my own bikes so should sail through a Halfords test.
However it will be fun trying to Police it.
 
Last edited:
hyperseven said:
That has big grey lines obscuring the plate which is illegal anyway.

Upgrade the cameras. Surely it is in the public interest.

The question is why don't certain people, even on here, want such a registration scheme?
Click to expand...
Because it's unnecessary, profoundly dumb, and would cost us money for no tangible benefit.

Maybe we should put license plates on skateboards and roller-skates, too? They can all travel faster than walking speed and cause injury.
 
If they want to add number plates to bicycles I'm gunna need a meter long seat post. It's congested enough as it is with just my saddle bag on it.. the saddle bag I need to carry tools, inner tubes and a repair kit because of all the debris from the chewed up roads that end up in the cycle lane/side of the road.
 
I have the solution. We make the bicycle number plate 1.5m long and attach it on the right side of the down tube. At 1.5m long there is plenty of space for a legible number and 1.5m is the safe overtake distance for bicycles. The only losers are pedestrians on shared use paths, I suppose we need to enforce PPE for pedestrians.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom