Electric Unicycles; Are They Legal?
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- Опубліковано 27 чер 2024
- In this episode Jon answers the question most people want answered... are Electric Unicycles legal? With new legislation looming, what does this mean? Can we ride anywhere or are there restrictions.... watch to find out!
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I'm 64 and ride regularly, 34 miles on Saturday. I ride on cycle-ways, roads and bridle ways. I try to keep off main roads as much as possible. When I'm near people, cycles, kids, dogs, whatever, I ride slow, real slow. Not just for their protection and mine, but because I don't want to startle or frighten anyone. I have had the Police pass me on several occasions, they have shown no interest in me what-so-ever. Now if I was show-boating, reckless, or abusive, then I guess that would be different, but for now be sensible and low profile, and they really don't want to know. As far as the regulators are concerned, PEV's are not going away, give us ways we can ride legally and we will use them, deny us our rights (which I consider the current position), then people will make up their own rules, as quite clearly is the case not only in this Country, but World wide. Number one priority make them legal, so we can get insurance - preventing people from having insurance for safe (normal ) use, is an insanity. And are they safe? Of course they are , you think I would be riding if I thought otherwise. It's not the PEV that is unsafe, as with all forms of transport it is the rider who makes that decision, in his conduct, in his ability and in the safety gear and precaution, he/she takes. Stop blaming the PEV's it's perfectly possible to be unsafe in public places as a pedestrian if your that way inclined.
YES
Another great video. Hopefully the UK will include EUC in its future transport planning discussions. They are one of the most compact and efficient PEV options that we have available to us.
It defies logic that the most efficient, least congesting, least polluting last mile personal electric transport solution available is still not legal in England, on some of the most congested roads cities in the Western world. I blame that guy Jonathan Whalley. The plank. Hereby signed: Ian Sampson, Gloucestershire, aged 34 1/2.😂
I blame escooters, people riding like morons on these became such a meme that P.E.V's were blanket banned
Great video as always ! So in the UK you can buy a Paramotor / paraglider and go out and legally fly no insurance or exam and yet we still can't legally ride private euc's!
I am glad I managed to convey how ludicrous the situation is!!
Thanks for continuing to provide such high quality, informative content on the exciting subject of EUC'S delivered with a touch of wit and humour. I'll be receiving my first EUC (Inmotion V8F) which I'll be riding on the the Island of Mahe in the Seychelles which is very hilly. I'm very interested in what sort of range I can get once I learn to ride!
Never had a problem with police in the UK luckily and I do Uber eats deliveries on my wheel so encounter quiet a few throughout the day. They even approached me the other day whilst waiting for an order to tell me I looked awesome. Love it when you get a positive reaction from them
Which city do you use it in? Super cool! I'm getting mine in London and great to hear they're not bothered
@Bernard Kudulis update: had 2 traffic police cars try to pull me over with full lights and siren and separate incidents. Luckily manage to loose then down bike routes. This is only 2 incidents in around 11 miles on the road so it's quite rare. Just watch out for the tac ops cars cause they are the one that have tries to pull me over, every other car and van hasn't seemed to care too much. Oh and I live in preston close to Manchester
@@Highvoltagedelivery damn glad you got away. I would be scared to run haha
EUC is so versatile, you can go 8kmh on the sidewalk and 100kmh at streets... the law have to be adapting to the path ...
There should be a law that requires the lawmakers to have experienced with the thing they are making laws for. For example the E-bike speed limit would have had a much harder time to get passed if the people rode themselves and realized that you can't and don't want to go from spending 2 hours in traffic to spending 2 or more hours commuting at a snail's pace just because nanny told you that you can't go over 15 mph.
If they really cared about the climate and peoples lives they wouldn't make it so hard to replace the car, but it's obvious they care more about control and their paycheck than trying to improve things.
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*The worry is* it goes like Germany and they use new legislation to make Unis and eBoards's "illegality" more straightforward/strict.
Awesome information and we can only wait and see. But I do hope this is coming soon. I would like to ride my EUC like I ride my motorbike and just get rid of the motorbike. Thanks again for the information.
Many thanks for the very enjoyable video Jonathon, excellent work! I still worry that EUCs May not become part of initial legislation, but I agree with you keep riding safely, sensibly, and geared up with respect of others. Ride safe! 🙏
Interesting fact the Sinclair C5 was offered insurance by the Prudential, so could be insured for road use. A well defined L category would include all "Light Vehicles" or "LV". This is not a small task and done correct would take years but this is the correct way to make LV's legal. Note that E-bikes are actual mopeds, and the legislation being EPAC was passed which is fundamentally incorrect, hence we are now seeing calls for an increase in power assistance to be made legal, the same will happen with E-Scooters a special legislation will be created which is incorrect.
I ride every day starting age 64 still riding age 66 thanks to you and Ian at speedy feet
thanks this video is super informative, i have a question that maybe you found the answer for in your research...how are the scooter rental companies getting around the insurance issue?
Very well produced sir
Should be classed as an ebike. No insurance.
The ..No Insurance Available..is somewhat strange. Clearly the rental scooter companies must have insurance…and rental scooters have to be the most dangerous PEV around as the rider/ riders, are unknown. Their age is unknown, their ability is unknown and they have no reason to act responsibly. The scooter can, and often is, simply left where it can be a hazard to others on the sidewalk or cycle path. It someone owns their own scooter, they will obviously act more responsibly and take better care of it. Hopefully, things will change. PEVs are no more than a modern bicycle, and bicycles have always been allowed without certification, training, taxes or insurance…and over the last 200 years don’t appear to have been a huge problem.
Nice video Johnathan. Way back at the start of EUC’s I used to carry around some printed pages from the 1835 document in case we ever got any negative attention. So far though I’ve never really had any issues so I’ll keep riding and keep trying to make the hobby a positive one until we get some common sense!
Are you around this weekend for a ride?
Thanks Jon.
Not aware that you were my neighbour. Have a great day
Are you in MK?
Yes we all are going to have to continue to ride safely and respectfully and eventually the laws will change.
I was in London at the weekend and noticed EUCs are specifically called out, alongside scooters, as being illegal to transport on the Tube. I understand this is due to fire risk but it's interesting, since they are illegal everywhere anyway, that they specifically call it out for the Tube. I'm inclined to see that as tacit acknowledgement that they tolerate people riding other places.
The thing with EUCs and similar self-balancing vehicles is that, unlike scooters, they can't realistically hold their rider if powered down for any reason (meaning malfunctions). This fact alone will prevent including EUCs into the list of properly legal devices for public roads. Same logic will be applied to any sorts of future personal/private flying devices.
You can't use a private plane/helicopter anywhere and whenever you please, whatever your money looks like.
Why couldn’t there be standards vehicles have to meet though? Battery safety and reliability of electronics. Most EUC failures like you mention are people overpowering the vehicle and causing a cutout, which can be avoided. I would argue scooters are inherently more crashable because of the small tires and the fact they are less intimidating and get drunks who want to mess around and find out. Scooters get plenty of mechanical/environmental failures which toss the rider off. All problems are fixable though, early cars and motorcycles were so dangerous they’d never be allowed today (people often broke their arms with crank start cars, for example, let alone their abysmal handling and crash performance).
@@Nemonurwingy i cant expect policymakers to understand these points.
@@Laenthal Why not? We have laws for all kinds of things lawmakers themselves don’t understand. They have staff, and public pressure makes adjustments. 90% of them, generously, don’t understand the Internet, but we still have it.
Interesting Jonathon as always, I have always insured against liability for riding electric unicycles as a hedge against getting 6 points on my driving licence which I need for my work. I think that an insurance company would be hard pressed not to cover an accident claim if they accepted you, particularly if no exclusions for that policy were in place. Obviously it makes sense to ride sensibly which I find easier now at my age of 77, I am a bit calmer nowadays.
Any update on the regs mate? Thinking of getting one but not sure?
In Germany, all light electric vehicles are strictly prohibited. The EU-wide regulation of e-scooters forced Germany to legalize them. All the rest is still forbidden. While a trip with an uninsured e-scooter costs a flat rate of 70 euros, with any other vehicle such as EUCs it is directly 7000 euros with an average income. Those who are repeatedly caught even end up in prison. In Germany, people act as if even the slightest competitor to the car would plunge the entire country into poverty. Most people find EUCs pretty cool, but politics finds untold wealth in the hands of a few even cooler.
I just want to know how the heck did the bikes in Netherlands get such favor as to have a law that states "if a car hits a bike the car is at fault." I know that there the insurance companies said this has to happen or we won't write a policy for bikes.
I wonder, could you circumvent the insurance issue by... insuring the vehicle abroad, in a country where PEV insurances are a thing? Or does it have to be insured in the UK to legally count as insured by UK laws? I mean, if you drive your car abroad, do you have to insure it in every country you pass through? Or can you insure it in one country and have it legally count as insured even when passing through other countries? (sure, legality is one thing, and whether the insurance company covers accidents abroad is another)
For instance, in Poland after laws were updated to include PEVs as a separate category of vehicles, some insurance companies started issuing insurances specifically for PEVs.
Though another question is whether such insurances are open to foreigners who would want to try such shenanigans.
EUCs will remain outlaws. The lack of a practical way to limit speed and implement mechanical brakes will make them challenging to legalize and the very small number of users means no bureaucrat will want to spend time solving that problem. If the police aren't actively ticketing EUC riders or worse confiscating wheels I think we are winning. At least within the range of reasonable options.
They will just ban them altogether as there are no rational and honest people making the laws. They can never make compromises or God forbid give room for people to have any freedom and responsibility.
I think you are right on all points that you made. 👍🏼
Cars have no practical way to limit speed (or none that's applied yet) but they are perfectly legal. Same with bikes or even horses. The law works in that you're told the permitted speed and fined or banned if you break the limit. No reason the same couldn't apply to PEVs.
I wonder if fitting a mechanical brake, even though you would never use it, would satisfy the law? There are EVs now which can be driven entirely without using the brakes because friction from the motor is used instead (e-pedal, i-pedal, etc) but they still have mechanical brakes for the law and because people don't trust the tech yet.
us laws are very generous for the most part with ebikes and the like 28mph for class 3 max is fantastic start. Sad thing is given how close things are together in the uk the potential for societal impacts for good are way more likely there (getting cars off the road and flexibility to bring an EUC on public transportation). Growing up in both countries i’d like to be able to get around in uk without having to worry about getting a hold of a car to explore when i do eventually make it back there. Like you said do your best to not draw negative attention and get the public comfortable with the idea
👍
This Wheel should be the next best thing to Lowering Emissions , It's practically an Electric Motor bike albeit one wheel , The public should demand we get to use these on our roads , Take Care .
I agree! We are heroes!
they seem to love keeping all sorts of things from the victorian era around
including royalty and outdated laws..
and my euc took 2+ months to clear customs there
What helmet were you wearing? I'm thinking about getting an xnito
The helmet i currently use is by Bell. I recommend Kali helmets... i truly believe a Kali helmet saved my life.www.speedyfeet.co.uk/products/kali-zoka-full-face-helmet-matt-black-red-grey?_pos=4&_psq=helmet&_ss=e&_v=1.0
It makes me so angry, I too have an e-scooter that I bought for £500 thinking it was okay to ride because I got it from a shop in the UK. I do still ride about with it, but why is it allowed and why should it be sold legally from a shop if it is illegal to ride anywhere in public only in private areas it's pathetic and makes no sense may as well make it illegal to be sold in this country.
It is great news to know that it could soon change and we should be able to ride legally and yes I'm happy with paying for insurance and having to have a licence if that is what it takes
I'm a 56 year old V11 rider in Scotland and been stopped by the police twice... They are really cool about it compared with Scooters... Both times they asked what it was... I think that distraction seems to help heh
The green initatives should help us here.
Riding in a way that makes us a nuisance will cause bad things to happen from law enforcement.
Be safe and courteous for all our sakes.
Yes!
I really hope this Dickensian country helps paves the way for people to use pev’s for now I don’t use mine at all , 2 locals riding sensibly i know on a one wheel, one has had 6 points and a £300 fine the other awaits court … I can’t risk the points for my business , one can only hope that things change , the roads are clogged and we’re polluting loads as more and more houses get built. Out of Interest … any news on the gotway masters waiting with customs….😂
Everyone wants you to go green till you find your own way to do so.
It's ok when they can sell you the "green" by the mile.
Braking systems are relevant to EUCs. We have to make this relevant. This is very important for safety. There should be assessments on power pads for braking and braking algorithms, regenerative braking assessments, braking distances etc... We need to make sure they know we can brake safely and effectively otherwise it is another way thay they can s*rew us and separate us from other LEVs.
Good points, well made.
Always tell my soldiers never to ask the question “can we drink after the duty day?” Because the answer will always be no. But if you don’t ask and no one specifically says you can’t, you can always say “I didn’t know I couldn’t do that”
Unfortunately, ignorance is no defence when confronted by the police or in a court of law. 😕
@@parapilot09 true, but I have found that if you are generally cool with the police they usually just give you a warning a let you on your way. Obviously we need to push for codification of EUCs and other PEVs to give all riders a path to legal ridership.
@@jessepope7726 I agree, having a good attitude when riding and encountering the police can go a long was but some police forces have a near zero tolerance to them.
Warwickshire Police and Cumbria Police are two such forces. I've seen an e scooter in Warwickshire strapped onto a police recovery vehicle. They are reporting offenders for summons for riding their e 'motor vehicle' and seizing them.
I lived in Warks and felt I had no choice but to sell my V10 as I didn't want the 6 points of the fine for riding in Rugby's country lanes.
@@parapilot09 damn, I’m sorry to hear that sir. You’re 100% right. If you live in a place where the law enforcement is specifically watching for PEVs to pull over and cite/impound their vehicles, no amount of kindness or courtesy will be enough. Truly the only option then is to petition the local municipalities for a change to legislation.
@@parapilot09 That's true but it's preferable to outright admitting to a crime. At least saying that you didn't know gives the police a chance to give you a verbal warning and send you on your way. If you say "I know I'm not meant to but fuck the law" they have no choice but to take action.
Good content Jonathan and best of luck for those who continue to ride in England and Wales.
I sold my V10 I had in the UK back in June as Warks Traffic Police have a near zero tolerance policy for PEV's used on roads.
As someone else said, sadly I don't think that EUC's by their unique design, power and speed output will 'fit' into any future legislation. We can only hope that once the general PEV space is regulated by Government, sensible considerate riders can coexist with escooters and all other road and public space users with less liklihood of persecution and prosecution by the old bill.
It's not the mode of 21 century transport that is the problem, it's the relatively low number of morons who ride recklesly and care little about anyone else but themselves and put us in the police's/public radar.
I had an MSX in Melbourne, Australia and a Nikola in Christchurch NZ and had no negative encounters with the police whatsoever. NZ have embraced PEV's both for hire and personal rides. Saying this, 3rd party liability insurance even for cars and motorbikes isn't mandatory in NZ.
Hi,
Our campaign has been working very closely with the government's ongoing consultation from its beginning and has submitted much technical documentation & attends many roundtable stakeholder meetings as regards the subject. Also one of our members is currently carrying out government funded research into practical technology to allow the police to meaningfully enforce/police micro mobility Rideables.
We are getting very close to legalisation now and we have already seen some draft legislation as regards it and although the registration
Plate issue is still up in the air but defiantly not off the table we do know the following thus far.
2 wheels inline, with no seated position.
Max speed 15.5mph
500 watts max wattage.
Minimum 12” front wheel size
1 independent mechanical or hydraulic brake per wheel that does not use the motors regenerative capability or the vehicles tyre as a braking surface.
UK Gov approved battery and speed controller fire safety certification.
Minimum 16 years of age
Minimum provisional driving licence
Minimum third party motor insurance.
So this already excludes 99% of all scooters manufactured to date.
So unfortunately this totally rights of any chance whatsoever of EUC’s being legalised in any way now?
Thanks for that update. Would you be interested in a brief interview with me to discuss those points in front of a camera?
I live in Virginia, USA, and they are legal, though technically they are limited to 20 mph, though interestingly no power limit. Practically, you can do basically whatever you want as long as you don’t draw attention on yourself.
I would like them brought under more specific laws, though. Ebike (28 mph) or lower ones I wouldn’t want them to have to be registered or require insurance. The higher spec ones do need more oversight, IMO. I don’t like the idea of someone riding like a maniac and being able to disappear because they are just a guy in a helmet with no identifiers or hurting themselves or others and bringing a burden on the health system because they have no insurance.
Perfect wheel to fit in a school locker.
Any good news about the law in 2024?
Is the podcast dead Jon? Not been one for a couple of months.
Not dead.... just dormant. Expecting it to come back to life very soon
Scotland has a different set of road laws to England i think
Is the attitude of the police quite positive? Only ridden in Scotland briefly a few years ago.
@@wheellifejon They have been very tolerant, they tell the locals i "am allowed" to ride, but do ride very carfully and try not to break the speed limits anyway
I've been stopped a few times but managed to clock up over 2000 miles on v11 in Glasgow without issue... However my mate got 6 points and 300 quid fine on his v8 which will ban him as he had licence for 1 month...this happened in Balloch loch lomond where the police get bored
@@EUCScotland done about 12000 in Fife over the last 6 years on MCM4, ACM, MSX, and EXN only been stopped once, never had a problem after that from cops only from entitled drivers
@@graemebuchan1919 cool... Good to hear... I did a youtube vid in Fife on a v8f last year
Seriously behind rest of Europe
Love how the government is for the people but they just come up with ways for you to pay money.
It's a 1 wheel bike so why can't you drive in the bike lane or on road. Just follow the rules of the road or bike path
Sad world when cars are more important then safer cheaper greener bikes and scooters
Someone has to get paid for safety lol
if its fun to drive, probably illegal
Nonsense
I want to know why euc riders think they are better than everyone else??! Why do they think they can go faster than 40 km/h, faster than other ebikes??? The new wheels capable of 90 km/h is absolutely ludacris...
Look up your state/county law on pevs most states don't have any law that effects eucs. (Usa) best country 👌 eu is a joke