E-scooters — New and unfamiliar but more bike than car. So, take a breath
The response of some in the media to the recent tragic death of a young woman while riding an e-scooter on London’s dangerous roads has been extremely disappointing.
This knee-jerk reaction, seeking to stifle the free use of a promising alternative transport solution, appears to be another manifestation of mankind’s innate, and often retrograde, suspicion of the unfamiliar.
Had the incident been one of the 100 or so bike fatalities that take place every year in the UK and had not involved a photo-friendly individual of some notoriety (she was a talented YouTuber), it would have most likely gone unreported in the press. It certainly wouldn’t have resulted in a stream of one-sided campaigning articles. The disproportionate outrage, I believe, is an age old reaction to a new technology.
There is a long history of opposition to new technology, especially new forms of transport that have gone on to play a critical role in our developing civilisation.
In the early 19th century there were genuine fears, widely reported, that train passengers would be ripped apart at speeds over 30mph. And in 1865, the UK’s new Locomotive Act required automobiles to be led by a pedestrian waving a red flag or carrying a lantern to warn of the vehicle’s approach. All this seems crazy today.
I’ve been riding a e-scooter for nearly as long as anybody in the UK, without mishap. I use it to minimise the short journeys I make by car to reduce carbon emissions, pollution and congestion. That’s good, right?
I don’t use it for the daily commute. But nor would I with a bike in London, although I did for a while on a 50cc moped. I’m pretty risk-averse and I think travelling any significant distance on busy roads on a flimsy vehicle that can’t keep pace with the traffic is ill-advised. But I do think as long as they don’t put others at risk, people should be free to decide for themselves.
The first e-scooters emerged a few years ago and while the UK is late to the party, the popularity of this convenient and environmentally-friendly alternative has rocketed, in London at least. This is despite them not being legal to ride on public roads and pavements. I assume other riders, like me, consider the antiquated laws in the UK as simply not having anticipated these developments and so are not relevant.
In many other major cities in the World they are street-legal and you’ve been even able to hire an e-scooter by the hour from the likes of Bird, Uber and Lime for some time. Not without controversy, but mostly regarding clutter — as with dockless bikes — rather than safety.
I’d had my eye on new EV tech (electric vehicle) for a while and after dismissing the cool looking monowheels — too hard to learn and not manoeuvrable enough to be safe — took the plunge a couple of years ago on a stylish well-reviewed e-scooter, tempted by a £230 deal. In the 2 months I waited for it to be delivered from China I saw just two others being used in London. Today you can buy from local sources, including Halfords, and I am seeing 5 or 6 on the streets every day.
The recent media outrage based on one incident is calling for new legislation and licensing, if not an outright ban. I believe this is disproportionate. Despite having an electric motor, these are far more akin to a bike than a car, and should be treated accordingly.
Like a bike, if they are ridden with care and consideration they should be safe. And this is key. Every day I see appalling behaviour by cyclists going unpunished. I’ve never seen anyone as much as get a warning for riding a bicycle on a pavement. It’s so commonplace it’s tolerated. And on more than one occasion in Central London I’ve been nearly run over by a cyclist going through a red light — on the wrong side of the road!
While factually correct, it would be wrong to classify the typical e-scooter as an unlicensed motor vehicle. Mine struggles to top 15mph and I’m often overtaken by cyclists. 9 out of 10 of the e-scooters I see on the streets are the exact, same popular Xiaomi M365 model I ride. Most other models available travel at a similar restricted speed, although I am aware there are those that are more similar to a moped in performance.
The UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) views electric scooters as ‘Personal Light Electric Vehicle (PLEV)’, because they’re powered by a motor. However, the law allows pedal-assisted electric bikes that are capped at 15.5 mph. The Xiaomi M365 Electric Scooter also travels less than 15.5 mph, it has handles, two-wheels, brakes and front / rear lights but because it doesn’t have pedals, it is illegal.
scootersinlondon.com
Personally, I choose to ride on quiet roads only, or pavements — if there is suitable space. I always give pedestrians priority, have my fingers hovering on the brake in case of people or cars exit driveways and, if the pavement is becoming congested, can instantly switch to walking in the space of a single step. E-scooters are lower profile and more manoeuvrable at lower speeds than a bike and so safer and less obstructive to use on a pavement.
On the pavement, the greatest risk to the rider are irregular surfaces, the small wheels cannot deal well with drops of more than 2cm or approaching edges of greater than 1cm. On the roads, e-scooters can be ridden in a similar fashion, and as safely, as bikes. I’ve heard it argued that they are less visible but I’d argue not. As they are ridden standing, the rider’s head is at a similar height to a seated bike rider.
I recognise E-scooters present something new for other road users and pedestrians to be aware of and become comfortable with. And new riders are finding their feet with little guidance. Inevitably, mishaps — and worse — will be more prevalent in the early days. But I strongly believe that to address pressing environmental challenges and the challenges of modern life, we should open our minds to new solutions and fight our natural desire to reject the unfamiliar.
