Electric Scooters

Ray Palmer · 27-11-2018 6:54pm #1

There has been a definite increase in people using electric scooters around Dublin even with a TD claiming to use one for his commute. I have encounter a few of them and I personally think they are unsafe and being unsafely driven. Why I am a hated cyclist anyway I am sure motorists detest them too.
The small wheel base and low clearance is my main concern about safety but the speed is an issue. I was passed by one and it was easily doing 40kph and he hopped on and off the road and cycle lane on the path.

kneemos · 27-11-2018 6:57pm

Are they mechanically propelled vehicles?

Ray Palmer · 27-11-2018 7:00pm

kneemos wrote: »

Are they mechanically propelled vehicles?

Yes and I know that means they are classed as a vehicles that requires motor tax, registration, licence and insurance. As such legislation exists but they are here and being used.

Ipso · 27-11-2018 7:01pm

They went through a bit of a fad in san Francisco, are the ones you're talking about rentals?
https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Bye-bye-SF-scooters-as-Bird-Lime-and-Spin-go-on-12966874.php

D3V!L · 27-11-2018 7:02pm

kneemos wrote: »

Are they mechanically propelled vehicles?

Yes , yes they are.

You'll find your average Garda "unable to stop them due to a grey area" though :rolleyes:

Ray Palmer · 27-11-2018 7:08pm

Ipso wrote: »

They went through a bit of a fad in san Francisco, are the ones you're talking about rentals?
https://www.sfchronicle.com/business/article/Bye-bye-SF-scooters-as-Bird-Lime-and-Spin-go-on-12966874.php

No people are buying them and some go 50kph

Turns out there is some confusion
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2018/1114/1010870-electric-scooter/

Feisar · 27-11-2018 7:14pm

So what you are telling me is jetpacks are legal.

Feisar · 27-11-2018 7:18pm

A cyclist can do a fair speed 30KMPH ish? So if the scooter needs tax/insurance/licence, then surely the peddle cycle does.

kneemos · 27-11-2018 7:39pm

Feisar wrote: »

A cyclist can do a fair speed 30KMPH ish? So if the scooter needs tax/insurance/licence, then surely the peddle cycle does.

Not unless they have a motor. Some of them are battery assisted,though I think you have to pedal as well so maybe that's the loophole.
Those two stroke motorised bikes seem to have died out.

Ray Palmer · 27-11-2018 7:44pm

Feisar wrote: »

A cyclist can do a fair speed 30KMPH ish? So if the scooter needs tax/insurance/licence, then surely the peddle cycle does.

It isn't about speed it is the fact a motor powers them completely. Thanks for playing the predictable response game while ignore information. :rolleyes:

whiskeyman · 27-11-2018 7:47pm

Anything that gets more cars off the roads needs to be welcomed.

Still need to factor in safety for them and other road / path users of course.

Like so many things, useless if no enforcement.

Il Fascista · 27-11-2018 7:51pm

Ray Palmer wrote: »

It isn't about speed it is the fact a motor powers them completely. Thanks for playing the predictable response game while ignore information. :rolleyes:

Which doesn't make a lot of sense when you consider that e bikes with manual throttle are illegal, only assisted ones are allowed on the road from my understanding.

kneemos · 27-11-2018 8:00pm

Il Fascista wrote: »

Which doesn't make a lot of sense when you consider that e bikes with manual throttle are illegal, only assisted ones are allowed on the road from my understanding.

If they can't do more than 45kph they're fine I think.

Ray Palmer · 27-11-2018 8:02pm

Il Fascista wrote: »

Which doesn't make a lot of sense when you consider that e bikes with manual throttle are illegal, only assisted ones are allowed on the road from my understanding.

They are both illegal without insurance and licence

TheValeyard · 27-11-2018 8:07pm

Cookie_Monster · 27-11-2018 8:14pm

It high time the law caught up with technology and recognised all these elec MPVs are not the same as traditional cars and motorbikes and should not need all the ridiculous levels of insurance etc.
They should be allowed use the roads exactly the same as cyclists but I favour a complete ban on footpaths / pedestrian areas.

VeryTerry · 27-11-2018 8:25pm

I have no problem with them on roads or cycle lanes. They have no place on footpaths like anything else that aren't feet.

Ray Palmer · 27-11-2018 8:27pm

While not the same as motorbike or car allowing them without restrictions is crazy. If they are allowed at these speeds then electric bike legislation would also need to be changed too. They aren't allowed over 25kph on assist mode.

The idea of a person moving at 25kph and hitting a pothole will not end well with those tiny wheels. They also are able to fit on much smaller paths than a bike that would fit on

Ray Palmer · 27-11-2018 8:29pm

VeryTerry wrote: »

I have no problem with them on roads or cycle lanes. They have no place on footpaths like anything else that aren't feet.

You going to put all the people in wheel chairs on the roads along with kids on normal scooter or skates?

VeryTerry · 27-11-2018 8:30pm

Ray Palmer wrote: »

You going to put all the people in wheel chairs on the roads along with kids on normal scooter or skates?

No. If you had any common sense you'd realise that.

Ray Palmer · 27-11-2018 8:44pm

VeryTerry wrote: »

No. If you had any common sense you'd realise that.

I was pointing out how stupid your comment was. You are the one who said it don't blame me because you said it. You could have thought before you typed it out.

VeryTerry · 27-11-2018 8:45pm

Ray Palmer wrote: »

I was pointing out how stupid your comment was. You are the one who said it don't blame me because you said it. You could have thought before you typed it out.

Ah you got me. I'm so stupid.

1800_Ladladlad · 27-11-2018 9:45pm

I think you should have a bit of cop on when it comes to being on a path when on a e-scooter, bike, e-bike or sometimes a skateboard. Its called having respect for people around you. Stop or get off the path. Making this specially for e scooters is invalid when idiots on bikes use the paths on a day to day basis. Im a cyclist and see it first hard. There are ignorant people everywhere using the roads . Wha i find irritating are kids on the push scooters and the ones with the heeleys lol

The subject OP , should be surrounding electronic motors tother than e-cars or e-motorbikes. Because I have had multi issues with people on e bikes and those segway things between the feet. I havent had any issue with the e scooters , any I have seen got off to mount the path or went realy slow.

anyway how would you tax it etc Iv used one to commute to test it out, and they are quite handy. Tax one e-device then you tax all, its as simple as that. Its a stupid idea

Feisar · 27-11-2018 9:56pm

Ray Palmer wrote: »

It isn't about speed it is the fact a motor powers them completely. Thanks for playing the predictable response game while ignore information. :rolleyes:

My humblest apologies for being predictale.

biko · 27-11-2018 10:20pm

Feisar wrote: »

So what you are telling me is jetpacks are legal.

Feisar · 27-11-2018 10:32pm

biko wrote: »

no seat!?!

silverharp · 27-11-2018 10:46pm

if you have no pride i guess it works. there was one ahead of me on the canal the other day, suddenly he disappeared only to see a garda checking cars up the road, the little chickensh1t didnt have the balls to own it.

Bluefoam · 25-02-2019 3:33pm

L1e-A is the law that governs pedal assisted vehicles... and while it was written with electric bikes in mind, electric assisted scooters also seem to fit into the legislation. So most governments seem to accept that. Some electric vehicle users have tested the legal implications of using their vehicles without insurance, tax etc... & have found themselves on the right side of the law, even though it is not entirely clear, no one would be able to take an effective case against them (YouTube is your friend on this). I can't say for all, but the only one I have spent any time looking at (Xiaomi M365) is assisted, in that the user needs to physically propel the scooter before it will assist with the electric motor.

People talk about the future being autonomous cars, or electric cars, but alternative transport is much more likely to be the future. The main protagonists against this type of transport seems to be car drivers who fear for the demise of their authority on the roads. Cars are: massively dangerous; huge polluters; a major economic cost to the state; selfish, lazy and anti-social forms of transport and their future is very unclear... They will stay around indefinitely, but their purpose, use case and cost are already being tested in a major way... I say this as a car driver BTW.

As for the claims above that masses of people are flying around at 30 or 40km per hour... That’s just bolloxology. Any scooter from a legitimate source is capped through firmware at 25kmph, there are also limitation on hardware such as battery, motor and inverter combinations (this is done to meet EU legislation). These can sometimes be altered through overclocking & hardware updates. But the idea of doing 40kmph on a short wheelbase, small wheeled, agile steering vehicle is absurd, unless you are doing so non the TopGear runway.

The ****e that comes out of some people is pure entertainment.

Richard Hillman · 25-02-2019 3:47pm

Any of the regular ones I have seen have a max speed of 25kph. They take up hardly any space on a footpath. If its a busy footpath ok, use common sense but this urge to regulate everything ffs. We are glutons for big government punishment.

andrioolis · 04-03-2019 9:28pm

Ive got one for my self as a replacement of the car. Its for EU market and capped for 25km/h its more than enough to do my round trip of 8km. Having it i see only positive side. No polution. Can be safely driven on both paths and cycling lane, its fun

if it will be taxed or banned - i will use it as a kick scooter and drive it while not on public road/in estate. Its not fare on people who are trying to keep be environmently friendly and still be able to commute. As i use train everyday i can bring it inside and not take as much space as an ordinary bike. I can see only positive side of using it.

D3V!L · 04-03-2019 11:09pm

andrioolis wrote: »

Ive got one for my self as a replacement of the car. Its for EU market and capped for 25km/h its more than enough to do my round trip of 8km. Having it i see only positive side. No polution. Can be safely driven on both paths and cycling lane, its fun if it will be taxed or banned - i will use it as a kick scooter and drive it while not on public road/in estate. Its not fare on people who are trying to keep be environmently friendly and still be able to commute. As i use train everyday i can bring it inside and not take as much space as an ordinary bike. I can see only positive side of using it.

Except you can't use it on a footpath. "Foot" being the operative word.

Electric Scooters

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