Private E Scooters to be Legalised

RoadieRoger

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 8, 2010
726
200
The Transport Secretary will announce on May 10th that Private E Scooters will be legalised for use on our roads . Cue all the anguished Car Drivers moaning about no tax , no insurance , no number plates no helmets , no formal training and anything else that they can think of .
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stan464

flecc

Member
Oct 25, 2006
53,213
30,611
The Transport Secretary will announce on May 10th that Private E Scooters will be legalised for use on our roads . Cue all the anguished Car Drivers moaning about no tax , no insurance , no number plates no helmets , no formal training and anything else that they can think of .
Depends on the rules for them, including what speed limit they have. The rules for the current rental scooters are that one must have a moped driving licence and insurance, the latter currently from the hire company.

It's the pedestrians I feel sorry for, since they'll often be ridden illegally on the pavements.
.
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
543
132
I saw this today. This video isn't high quality, but I hope you can see a guy giving his young daughter a lift to school on an unsafe IMHO electric scooter. Vey irresponsible! :(

 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,918
6,516
a guy up the road got all his kids electric scooters a couple of years ago and asked him the other day if still working and said the batts died in them all as left them outside over the winter so thew them in the bin.

 
  • Informative
Reactions: sjpt

lightning

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 26, 2022
265
73
I will be surprised if e-scooters are legalised. Not sure if it's good or bad. Ridden sensibly they could be great for commuting.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stan464

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
543
132
Electric scooters are deathtraps. It doesn't take much for them to topple over. This idiot fell over on the other side of the road, for no reason I could see. I checked to see if he was ok, he said he was. He shouted "It's a show mate!" after he fell over and was picking himself up.

 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,917
8,533
61
West Sx RH
  • Informative
  • Like
Reactions: Stan464 and flecc

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,918
6,516
i got retard rammers on my handle bars as twat on a race bike crashed in to me while i was standing still in the middle of a road crossing.

DSC_0203_02_01.JPG
 

lightning

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 26, 2022
265
73

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,918
6,516
The guy in the car is a tit. He should have looked before opening his door, and he opened it so quickly that it was almost like he did it on purpose.
you not seen the cycle lanes in new york. :rolleyes:
46747

you get door jacked and ran over and a trip to ane costs 10 grand with no insurance just to scrape ur ass of the road.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stan464

AndyBike

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 8, 2020
1,395
598
he opened it so quickly that it was almost like he did it on purpose.
No he didnt, he just didnt look. Stop making things up.

I saw this today. This video isn't high quality, but I hope you can see a guy giving his young daughter a lift to school on an unsafe IMHO electric scooter. Very irresponsible! :(
Appears to be moving at the breakneck speed of about 4mph.
 

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
543
132
The guy in the car is a tit. He should have looked before opening his door, and he opened it so quickly that it was almost like he did it on purpose.
From the driver's point of view, he might have simply assumed that the woman was a pedestrian, because escooterists are not terribly visible. Their profile is slim because of the riding position. Cyclists ride a bit higher and wear helmets. The driver might have glanced briefly to check for cars and saw in his peripheral vision, what he assumed was a pedestrian who wasn't likely to move very fast. He probably saw her from waist up at most, missing sight of the tiny black handles of the scooter. She might not have been visible at all? I've noticed that a lot of car drivers don't look before they open their driver side doors.

I passed this guy twice on Saturday, and when some of these escooters have enough room to build up speed they are faster than legal pedelecs. I was travelling at over 25mph downhill and it was tough overtaking him, until fatso rucksack scooter boy had to slow down at the intersection.

 
Last edited:

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
543
132
Appears to be moving at the breakneck speed of about 4mph.
Scooters always slow down at intersections. Falling off a scooter at any speed can be dangerous. It's shoulders and head which hit the ground first, every time I've seen them topple over. It's a good job kids bounce eh? Rubber bones and all that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stan464

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,918
6,516

:p
 

AndyBike

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 8, 2020
1,395
598
Scooters always slow down at intersections. Falling off a scooter at any speed can be dangerous. It's shoulders and head which hit the ground first, every time I've seen them topple over. It's a good job kids bounce eh? Rubber bones and all that.
Hypothetical analogies. You called this guy out, when in fact he's traveling slowly and by the looks of it safely.

On your own riding vids, you ride too close to parked cars ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Stan464

I893469365902345609348566

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 20, 2021
543
132
Hypothetical analogies. You called this guy out, when in fact he's traveling slowly and by the looks of it safely.
How is that safe @AndyBike? Escooters are unsafe for small children being transported like that IMHO, because they're first to hit something in a collision. Her face wouldbe crushed against the handlebar stem, a top hat helmet won't stop that or her face scraping against the handlecar stem with the added weight of her dad. Falling off a scooter risks serious injury at any age. Escooters speed up after slowing for intersections as shown in post #12. Maybe he's saving up for a car to do the school run with? It's stupid carrying a kid passenger on a scooter.

On your own riding vids, you ride too close to parked cars ;)
That's partly due to how it looks because of distortion caused by the wide angle lens, and partly because it was morning rush hour with heavy traffic on narrow streets and I didn't have much choice. Yes, I almost got car doored that day and that's always a worry, but the driver saw me just in time and I might have been slightly too far away from his door. I think he saw me because my 1800LM headlight also looks bright during the day. But at least I wasn't carrying a small child passenger.

Maybe I should ride in the middle of the lane pi*ssing off drivers more often? It's a genuine question. When I can see clear road using the wing mirrors, I always ride middle lane. When it's fast moving traffic on narrow roads, I slip over to the side.
 
Last edited:

lightning

Esteemed Pedelecer
Mar 26, 2022
265
73
No he didnt, he just didnt look. Stop making things up.
l didn't make it up, l said it LOOKED like he did it on purpose.
Not that he actually did.

But the timing is so perfect and the door opens so quickly that it does look like he did it on purpose!
 

StuartsProjects

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 9, 2021
1,787
1,010
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-61250302

"Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has promised to “crack down” on illegal e-scooter sales in England."

Why does the cynic in me think this is just another 'lets be popular' measure.

Certainly here in Wales I see little evidence that there is currently any form of 'crack down' on the use of eScooters on the roads, and it should really be quite easy, since they clearly are illegal.

If eScooters are made legal, no doubt with certain type restrictions or useage rules, is it not likely that there will little incentive for the Police to then suddenly start pulling eScooter users over and check to ensure their steed meets legislative requirements ?

Sounds to me it will become a free for all, with politicians hiding behind what they claim is appropriate regulation, but with no real intent to enforce such regulations, a bit like the situation with Covid rules and restrictions perhaps.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: guerney and flecc

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,917
8,533
61
West Sx RH
All I can say is once legalised, A&E will see a big increase in injuries. Most usage I see is appalling and the main issue is the speed and dicing with traffic. At speed the manoeuvrability of them is too quick and sudden, riding these with arm, knee & head protection must be mandatory esp with the small wheels that are going to be unpredictable for control with nature of current road surfaces.
 
Last edited: