E-bike and E-scooter - ongoing issues and discussion (merged posts)

[whole diary]

[Bmblbzzz]

Many electrical assisted cycles can be moved by electricity alone without use of the pedals. AFAIK^▸ (as far as I know) this design is legal subject to a limit on maximum speed under power.

Not usually. AFAIK this was legal up to a certain speed under older regulations but not on anything newer.

[Bmblbzzz]

Today I was stewarding at a street party. My tasks basically consisted of moving a barrier for vehicles which had a legitimate reason for access and telling others why they couldn't come in, etc. Without exception, every single e-scooter followed the diversion signs without needing to be told, apart from one or two which were actually coming to the party (there is a designated parking spot in the street party area) and they got off and pushed. The reports you read in some places would give you a very different expectation.

[CyclingSid]

Regrettably not all are as well-behaved as your visitors https://road.cc/content/news/police-seek-e-scooter-rider-after-cyclist-seriously-injured-286357

[TaplowGreen]

Very moving account, just been shown on the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page), making the argument for helmets to be made compulsory.


BBC News - Shakur Pinnock e-scooter death: 'His sacrifices will save a lot of people'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58711393

[Celestial]

A tragic and unnecessary death.

In addition to the lack of helmets, the couple were riding an unauthorised scooter on the road, and were both riding the one scooter.  (By being unauthorised, there was no opportunity for the hire company to ensure that they were aware of the risks, ways to mitigate them (ie do's and don'ts), and that they were licensed to ride them.)

So unfortunately they did stack the odds against themselves, in more ways than not wearing helmets, and paid a very heavy price for doing so. My impression is that there isn't enough awareness that you can't take a privately owned E-scooter on the highway (I've never seen it publicised) so somehow I doubt this will be last such incident resulting in a tragic loss of life.

[Marlburian]

I am being disingenuous in suggesting that vendors of e-scooters warn that it should only be used on private land. Shops stocking them do claim to do so when interviewed by the media.

[Marlburian]

E-scooters injuries in Berkshire revealed in new figures

[grahame]

E-scooters injuries in Berkshire revealed in new figures

South Central Ambulance Service provided information of the 43 reports following a freedom of information request submitted by the Bracknell News.

To give an idea of how significant that figure of 43 is, did they ask for the number of reports of accidents involving pedestrians and cars during that same period (however long it was?)

[TaplowGreen]

E-scooters injuries in Berkshire revealed in new figures

South Central Ambulance Service provided information of the 43 reports following a freedom of information request submitted by the Bracknell News.

To give an idea of how significant that figure of 43 is, did they ask for the number of reports of accidents involving pedestrians and cars during that same period (however long it was?)

Whataboutery.

[Surrey 455]

200 rental e-scooters have been burnt in a warehouse blaze in Bristol.

Metro

Hundreds of e-scooters were burnt in a ‘significant’ New Year’s Day fire in Bristol.

The rental devices were damaged after the blaze broke out in a warehouse in the suburb of Brislington at around 12.30pm.

Avon Fire and Rescue Service (AFRS) said they were on the scene for more than seven hours, leaving the industrial unit at 7.45pm.

The unit was being used to store hundreds of pink Voi e-scooters – a popular mode of transport in the city which can be found on most street corners........

[grahame]

200 rental e-scooters have been burnt in a warehouse blaze in Bristol.

How many are there in total?  Latest I can see is 400 in Bristol + 200 in South Gloucestershire - is that a pool of 600 based in that warehouse? 

I await the headlines confirming the huge fire risk of e-scooters, with 33% of the fleet having gone up in smoke within 2 years ...

[broadgage]

What CAUSED the fire ? was it a lithium battery in a scooter, or some unrelated event with the scooters being merely collateral damage.

[Bmblbzzz]

It's not yet known. The fire brigade are investigating. They have only said they do not think it was arson.

[TonyK]

What CAUSED the fire ? was it a lithium battery in a scooter, or some unrelated event with the scooters being merely collateral damage.

Or a small blaze from faulty wiring fuelled by the batteries? Someone will tell us one day, I am sure.

I await the headlines confirming the huge fire risk of e-scooters, with 33% of the fleet having gone up in smoke within 2 years ...

I don't think much will be said about it for very long, grahame. The press didn't have much to say about the three fires on aircraft in 2020 caused by batteries (2) and a charger, and this is trivial by comparison. After all, one or two e-scooters spontaneously combusting in the open air, where they spend most of their time, would not be a big issue, and when they are all alone in a warehouse for the night, nobody is likely to get hurt. I am sure that replacements with improved safety features will be cobbled together and shipped from somewhere distant as soon as the materials have been dug out of a huge hole in Africa. Then we can get on with improving the environment, at least in Britain.

[Bmblbzzz]

We know there are fire risks to lithium batteries but we also know those risks can be controlled, and in the commonest consumer items, they are. It's very rare for a fire to start from a laptop or phone battery, for instance. I've heard of fires from cheap Chinese bike lights bought on Ali Express or Ebay, but not from those made by manufacturers with reputations (that includes Chinese manufacturers like Fenix as well as the Americans or Japanese etc). Electric scooters are probably found at various points on this scale...