Electric scooters and the law

Scam said:
Does anyone actually use the rental ones, particular around London? We've moved a bit further from our main town centre so is about a 20-25min walk. Absolutely don't mind doing it there and back but we walk past a whole host of the Dot, Lime etc ones practically on our way and I keep thinking for the sake of a £1 or so I could be home in 5mins. It's a fairly easy ride too, mostly suburban/residential streets. Never been brave enough though :p
Click to expand...

I work in Colchester and they have a scooter rental scheme, seems to work fine during the day not sure about at night though.

It's just a bit odd seeing electric scooters just abandoned at the side of the road, I really feel sorry for the guy who has to collect them at the end of the day & charge them.

There are still parts of the town centre where the scooters stop working automatically, but in general people do appear to be quite well behaved on them.

If used sensibly they are good fun though, saying that though I live in a small village and half of the adult cyclists around here ride around with no lights on at all which is my book is not right at all!

Cheers all
 
roman59 said:
It's just a bit odd seeing electric scooters just abandoned at the side of the road, I really feel sorry for the guy who has to collect them at the end of the day & charge them.
Click to expand...
In the US, well LA at least you can take the Lime ones home and charge them and get paid somehow. I take it that's not the case over here? You end up with a pile of them outside random houses because the person has been charging them. Or see some randomer bundling them into a van. Very odd!

I guess my question was, do any "normal" people use them as they're intended, or is it just oiks and yoofs? :p
 
Most of the people I have seen riding them (when I am stuck in traffic :( trying to get home) are student types & 30 somethings avoiding the traffic queues.

Not sure what happens in the evenings when the pubs shut though ;)

Must admit once they are eventually legal I would take one in the car with me as my commute is 50 mile round trip to work and park 10 minutes walk away from the office, I could get the scooter out of my car and a get to the office a bit quicker.

I already own a Pure Flux electric bike, but its too mach hassle trying to get it in the car to take it to work.

Cheers all
 
roman59 said:
[..] Must admit once they are eventually legal [..]
Click to expand...

They're already legal. They're motorbikes and are subject to the laws regarding motorbikes. Because they're motorbikes. Two wheels (bi-cycle) with a motor. Motorised bicycle. Motorbike.

What some people are demanding is for the law to be changed to allow them to ride motorbikes on pedestrian areas and/or to ride motorbikes that aren't roadworthy on the roads.
 
Average e-scooter's not going to pass an mot to satisfy motorised vehichles law.

Pedestrian e-cscooter accidents, 400 odd, is going to polarize further legislation, illegal users I see don't have helmets,
I'm dubious if casual hireres have the skills to use them and traffic awareness too, so will have higher risks,
plus roads in arbitrary UK towns, always seem worse than french towns say I'm familiar with, or the USA, further increasing risk.

Increase in cyclist deaths 2020 year with increased mileage, also an ill omen
 
Angilion said:
They're already legal. They're motorbikes and are subject to the laws regarding motorbikes. Because they're motorbikes. Two wheels (bi-cycle) with a motor. Motorised bicycle. Motorbike.

What some people are demanding is for the law to be changed to allow them to ride motorbikes on pedestrian areas and/or to ride motorbikes that aren't roadworthy on the roads.
Click to expand...

Just because they are defined as a motorcycle in U.K. law doesn’t make them equivalent to a motorbike.

It’s obvious they are a different class of vehicle and so single person would agree.

You trying to use U.K. law to equivocate the two to make an emotive ‘they’ll be riding motorbikes on cycle paths’ argument is just an utter nonsense. :rolleyes:
 
If users could have used these scooters sensibly we wouldn't be having these debates.
It's obvious the majority act sensible around pedestrians but the idiots ruin it for the many.
I'm in an eBike group on Facebook where I am one of the only users who seem to be Legal with a 250 watt motor and anybody who mentions the legalities gets jumped on.
There are people on there with 8,000 watt motors doing 70mph on the throttle and if it continues I can see eBikes coming under fire.
Up to yet I know 4 people in Stoke who have had their 1000 watt motor eBikes confiscated.
 
roman59 said:
I work in Colchester and they have a scooter rental scheme, seems to work fine during the day not sure about at night though.

It's just a bit odd seeing electric scooters just abandoned at the side of the road, I really feel sorry for the guy who has to collect them at the end of the day & charge them.

There are still parts of the town centre where the scooters stop working automatically, but in general people do appear to be quite well behaved on them.

If used sensibly they are good fun though, saying that though I live in a small village and half of the adult cyclists around here ride around with no lights on at all which is my book is not right at all!

Cheers all
Click to expand...

Cycles or Scooters ridden sensibly are not a problem (and I argue 100% interchangeable in terms of the class of vehicle), but not ridden sensibly they are a problem..

The only issue with Scooters is it's like the world of idiots just taking to cycles overnight.. they'd cycle on the pavements, they'd cycle with no helmets, they'd cycle 2 up..

It's not the scooters, it's the attitude of the law and enforcing the law to cycles that is the issue here.. we don't have the infrastructure or laws to effectively deal with mass cyclists, so no surprise that when a Scooter comes along that has huge convenience factors and gets people off public transport/cars that all hell breaks loose..
 
Bug One said:
250w is a pathetic limit though. It's not enough power to propel an adult.
Click to expand...
Which was the whole point the 250W limit is set because the electric bit is supposed to be an assist not a motor for propelling the thing alone. An ebike capable of doing 70mph should be subject to all the requirements of a motor bike ie MOT, insurance etc. I don't envy the law makers in this area as it is going to be so difficult to safely satisfy all the different parties as the two sides of the debate are far to far apart, for my money we shouldn't be encouraging the use of eScooters on pavements/pedestrian areas unless they are limited to a walking pace anything over 4/5 mph should be on the road.
 
I’m all for allowing these with sensible limits, 350w (acceleration curtailed slightly at that power level, the extra power being there for inclines only) and 15mph is more than sufficient for scooters and ebikes.

1000w and 70mph on a bicycle goes beyond silly, it’s just utterly reckless.

Anyone caught should have the book thrown at them, 12 points, ban and a large minimum imo.

Practically speaking enforcement is harder than it sounds which means more people do it because they can get away with it. Realistically the police are not going to be able to ‘pull over’ a vehicle that can do 70mph down a tiny alleyway and I guess that’s what they rely on.
 
Scam said:
In the US, well LA at least you can take the Lime ones home and charge them and get paid somehow. I take it that's not the case over here? You end up with a pile of them outside random houses because the person has been charging them. Or see some randomer bundling them into a van. Very odd!

I guess my question was, do any "normal" people use them as they're intended, or is it just oiks and yoofs? :p
Click to expand...

Around me it seems to be exclusively oiks and yoofs with no road sense. They will suddenly pull across the front of cars and buses without looking. Hopefully a few get squished and Darwinism takes its natural course for the benefit of all.
 
if e-scooter mortality/demographic is like e-bikes they should wear helmets

switzerland hmmm multiple studies
The injury pattern of E-bikers resembled that of bicyclists much more than that of motorcyclists. The patients with E-bike accidents were almost 14 years older and had a higher incidence of moderate traumatic brain injuries than patients with bicycle accidents, in spite of the fact that E-bike riders were nearly twice as likely to wear a helmet as compared to bicycle riders. The rate of pelvic injuries in E-bike accidents was twice as high compared with bicycle accidents, whereas the rate of upper extremity injuries was higher following bicycle accidents. Conclusion: The overall E-bike injury pattern is similar to that of cyclists. The differences in the injury pattern to motorcycle accidents could be due to the higher speeds at the time of the accident, the different protection and vehicle architecture. What is striking, however, is the higher age and the increased craniocerebral trauma of the E-bikers involved in accidents compared to the cyclists. We speculate that older and untrained people who have a slower reaction time and less control over the E-bike could benefit from head protection or practical courses similar to motorcyclists.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30857998/
Conclusions: E-bikers had a significantly greater risk of moderate to severe TBI compared with bicyclists. Helmet use was associated with decreased odds of severe TBI in bicyclists and a tendency toward a more favorable outcome for E-bikers

-----

Halfords are apparently selling e-scooters - only meant to be used on private premises - Bezos too ?That's the action of responsible companies;
for any confiscated scooters the police should be naming companies involved.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
I'm overweight and for the last 10 years both my eBikes have propelled me no problem at 15mph but I have to pedal a little bit when going upbank.
I have no idea what you're using.
Click to expand...
We have too many ebikes & electric scooter on the road and they are a right pain from an 3008 SUV driver point of view, and they don't keep to the bike lanes and they cut in front of me when turning the city/town roads are taken up for wide green bike lanes? The local councils have no common senses/brains I can see more accents and deaths on the road. the UK law needs to change and give more powers to the police, also how many Ebikes riders @15.5 mph follower the UK law – it will need to be registered, insured and taxed as a motor vehicle. In this case, you will also need a driving licence, and you must wear a motorcycle helmet!. I don't see anyone wearing motorcycle helmet/helmet on! Only motorbikes.

In March 2022 the law will change.
Electric scooter are classed as ‘powered transporters’ and as such are treated in the same way as motor vehicles, so pavements and cycle paths are strictly off limits. In turn, for road use, they would have to meet the same requirements as cars and motorbikes and have the correct MOT, tax, insurance, licence, Or IMO they should only be 4/8mph like disable scooters Under current UK law.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom