I'm all for anything that can reduce the number of cars in European cities.<p>That said, whether they're explicitly forbidden in your country, or in a legal grey area, I think anyone riding these scooters is asking for trouble. If you do cause an accident, your personal liability insurance <i>will not</i> cover anything. Even if you aren't at fault, you are on a vehicle that has no legal category, no insurance, and is not supposed to be used on public roads. Given that some models go up to 50 km/h, this kind of risk sounds pretty insane.<p>We definitely need legislators to work things out before SV startups put them in the hands of unaware people.
This 1835 law is utterly sensible. Electric scooters on pedestrian paths ? No, just no. The only modes of transportation on pedestrian paths should be powered by your feet. We can allow powered wheelchairs for the disabled but that should be the upper limit. Why are pedestrians always the one to get the shaft in road 'innovation' ?
This is also the case for bicycles, however it's purpose is more about dissuading cyclists who don't consider themselves guests on the pavement:<p>> The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so. Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement, acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young people, are afraid to cycle on the road, sensitivity and careful use of police discretion is required.<p>Pavements are for people, if you want to ride on it that is fine, but you have no right of way over people on foot.<p>The carriage law should not be removed outright but amended similarly while making it clear it's not ok to make pavements dangerous for pedestrians.
I had no idea that electric scooters were a fad elsewhere, but the tone of this article makes me glad they aren't in the UK. The assumption seems to be that they'd be on the footpath, which just sounds crazy to me. As for the roads, I thought the pedelec compromise of not allowing throttle controls was quite sensible.
From the article<p>> If any person shall wilfully ride upon any footpath or causeway by the side of any road made or set apart for the use or accommodation of foot passengers; or shall wilfully lead or drive any horse, ass, sheep, mule, swine, or cattle or carriage of any description, or any truck or sledge, upon any such footpath or causeway; or shall tether any horse, ass, mule, swine, or cattle, on any highway, so as to suffer or permit the tethered animal to be thereon.<p>It seems like a step forward was made almost two centuries ago. Let's not take a step back.
Anecdotally, I’ve noticed a bunch of people using “scary”, “dangerous”, “hazard”, etc. a lot more recently. I wonder if there’s some sort of correlation with our helicopter parent upbringing and a desire for an entirely safe environment.<p>Personally, there’s a risk level that I’m content with living with and scooters on the pavement are beneath that.
This isn't unique to the UK. Small electric vehicles fall under motor vehicle regulations in New York state which also bans them from sidewalks. E-bikes, electric scooters, hoverboards, they're all supposed to be registered with the DMV for use on public roads.
Am I missing something with the UK definitions or are streets and pavement (sidewalk in US parlance) a complete apples and oranges comparison? Bicycling on the street is perfectly valid and sensible - especially since those are usually lower speed and congested areas in the first place. Replacing cars with bicycles eases congestion in dense cities. Replacing cars with bicycles on a highway would cause problems.<p>Similarly sidewalks are narrow and meant for pedestrian capable ranges of motion and speeds. I lean towards 'legalize electric scooters on the streets keep them the off the pavement unless the operator is disabled'.
They should be glad their spaces aren't littered with these imported, rentable scooters, it's already happened with bicycles in various cities around the world and it's a mess.
As a pedestrian walking on already crowded sidewalks, I loathe sharing the sidewalk with scooters - even entirely people-powered ones.<p>That extra speed makes them scary and dangerous, and the people riding them never seem to be considerate of the people they’re sharing the sidewalk with. Not quite as bad as bicycles on the sidewalk, but approaching the same category.<p>IMO we should be repurposing roads not aggressively to make room for cyclists and other modes of transportation like scooters.<p>If scooters are too slow to be safe in the bike lane, make an additional scooter lane and remove some free automobile storage on public property - which is not in fact a birthright.
It's illegal in the uk because here your desire for profit and your customers lack of regard for other people doesn't as yet override those other people's right to walk down the pavement unmolested.
We have cycle lanes and powered push bikes. If the output is less than 250w and can do no more 15mph then they can be used on the roads in cycle lanes without a licence or road tax.