Scooter problems

[tintin40]

E-scooters were supposed to fix travel in Rome. Then they became 'death traps'

Introduced as a transport solution during Covid, e-scooters have become a scourge in Italy's capital, blamed for deaths, injuries and damage to historic landmarks.

edition.cnn.com

Just not surprised,

 

[novocaine]

I see these going the same way as mini motos, they will be around for a few summers then when the battery is goosed because it hasn't been charged over winter and run to death in the summer they will all end up in land fill and yet more "environmentally friendly" junk will destroy our planet just that little bit more (mmmmm lithium poisoning).

in the UK they are supposed to be regulated and only used as part of a trial scheme and insured (which you can't get unless part of the trial scheme). they are not supposed to be privately owned and used on public highways and they are supposed to be restricted to 15.5mph.
it seems that none of these things are really happening across the UK and I see people on them on a daily basis (I don't live in a city).

this is going to change and they are to become legal in the UK but with certain requirements (age, insurance, etc.) but to my knowledge the date of the legislation hasn't been set.

 

[greencat]

I think they fulfil a need, but we haven't figured out how to integrate them properly. There is something to the idea of essentially using an electric drill motor and battery for transporting someone a few miles - especially when the vast majority of car journeys are under 6 miles, and most people don't want to walk or cycle that distance.

Probably bringing them into line with ebike regulations would help ie road/cycle paths only, 15.5 mph, bigger wheels etc.

I think there are also handling difficulties which are more difficult to resolve. There's a reason why most adults don't ride traditional scooters, and why bike geometry is different to a scooters. Maybe lower speed limits - say 10mph might help here (still quicker than walking, but fewer consequences in the event of losing control).

 

[mk one]

The original post seems like they are really struggling to find things at fault with the scooters, though for some reason they are finding them, no matter how absurd

 

[Betsy]

I'm all for liberalising the rules re- city road use.. i don't mind what weird and wonderful contraptions folks choose to get around on.. in my imagined utopia everyone would be riding on something which does 20 odd mph, doesn't pollute the environment, doesn't do 0-60 in 3 seconds, doesn't weigh 2 tons and probably wont kill you if it crashes into you... oh and the sun will allways shine
Failing that, i would like to see a move towards separating motor vehicles from everything else, cycle lanes running adjacent to the road don't really work because cars drive in/over them, but some kind of barrier between cars and everything else would be ideal.

 

[Nob]

Hoodies love scooters as easy to snatch & grab now without getting out of breath running as these scooters can be easily tweeked for greater speed…….

 

[mk one]

The future

 

[ishaw]

I've always struggled to understand what need they fulfil. Surely a normal scooter fills the same need but without the environmental impact?

Users in my area tend to be absolute scrotes, 30mph on pavements and expect everyone to get out of their way.

I dread they day they become legal to use, as path users do t need to share a path with something travelling 5 or 6 times their speed. Road users could do without more idiots thinking they own it.

What problems did these solve again? Getting exercise? Using limbs?

 

[KermitGKona88]

All I see is problems with these bloody things, here we have 'legal' Ginger scooters 2 pounds for 20 minutes, but they are unregulated they ride on pavements on the roads wherever they want and the illegal ones are getting mixed in with them. Then there is parking with the Gingers they just get left on pavements all over the place, I was cycling down a cycle path the other day and there were 4 of these 'parked' right in the middle of the path no way round had to bump off the kerb into the road. Despite many complaints it seems they are going to allow these menaces to continue being used, greedy council seeing $$$$.

 

[Chopper the ex Copper]

There have been 2 deaths and 2 serious inupjuries in the Northampton trial alone. Less than 2 hours after the trial began a rider was arrested for drink driving.

I think the scooters are a great idea...in isolation. Sadly, as we can see by watching the typical British car driver as they hoon about, the great British public cannot be trusted to behave themselves with these scooters.