Those three deaths were motorbikes. Which do kill people (usually their riders, as in these cases) with some regularity.
How naive to think that there are no unsafe / uninsured cars on the site. considering the % of such on UK roads
Just to answer a few points, I'm fully aware the police are far too under-resourced to tackle this behaviour, I have 2 close friends who've been in the police for years and I've heard all about their issues. This is why I'm wondering if going down the route of getting my company involved would be a better course of action.
I'm also fully aware illegal cars are an issue, perhaps those raising this point could start a new thread because that's not what I'm asking about. I'm not sharing the road with those when I'm on my bike so it's irrelevant to this discussion.
We've all read the recent badly reported news stories about scrotes killing themselves on these things and we've all seen the massive increase in their use in general. At the moment the police have clearly decided it's a problem they're either unwilling or unable to tackle.
Matt – those 3 killed themselves not others
Agreed, but a pensioner has been killed by an illegal e-scooter and i know two people with broken bones having been clattered by illegal ebikes on Nottingham cycle paths
I actually preferred it when the odd scrambler bike was found on canal banks. Speeding electric motorbikes isn't a huge problem here but when the odd one appears you get little warning of them coming.
For the OP. Presumably he knows the identity of these riders. As they arrive at a known time an easy catch for the police I would have thought.
I actually have some sympathy with modifying e bikes because the 15mph limit is too low for on road. But exceeding that speed on off road routes is being a dick.
I suppose talking to the dicks first before the police is an option. But I don't mind being unpopular.
If contacting the police in Scotland you can quote their spokesman
"Both community and road policing officers will tackle issues in local areas. Anyone with concerns in their community should contact police via 101 so we can carry out enquiries and report those breaking the law."
Those three deaths were motorbikes. Which do kill people (usually their riders, as in these cases) with some regularity.
What the OP is describing are effectively motorbikes, just electronic ones. I don’t think anyone has an issues with a regular e-bike here. The discussion is about illegally modified, uninsured electronic motorcycles being ridden at speed in areas designated and designed for the safe use of pedal cycles (whether regular or electronically assisted).
My perspective is that it’s a regulation issue, so given the government can’t even regulate its own members properly, just expect to see the issue get worse until the Daily Hate readership call for the blanket ban of pedal transport.
I’m also fully aware illegal cars are an issue, perhaps those raising this point could start a new thread because that’s not what I’m asking about. I’m not sharing the road with those when I’m on my bike so it’s irrelevant to this discussion.
This seems like an infrastructure problem outside of work premises and work should have and enforce speed limits inside work premises.
I'm missing why they are on a cyclepath ?? Is there a reason ? Is it at all valid? Are they ALL on the cyclepath or just some?
On my real bike I'd have no wish to go 30-40mph on a cyclepath if there was a 30-40mph road next to it vs a narrow NSL road...
irc
I actually have some sympathy with modifying e bikes because the 15mph limit is too low for on road. But exceeding that speed on off road routes is being a dick.
It's a legislative minefield I guess...
I totally don't think anyone with a derestricted eBike/scooter should be using it on cycle paths ...
Whilst 15 mph is unsafe and impractical on a road... (Impractical meaning it's not going to be adopted as a valid transport means)
and the legislative exception for road legal e-bikes means they are using a motor vehicle without insurance/MOT (and tax but who cares in the wider picture)
However going too quickly on a bike is not restricted to eBikes or illegal e-Bikes...
TBH if I was still commuting then 15mph is a huge turn-off for anything over a couple of miles...
Personally I see the benefits of e-transport on scooters or bikes as outweighing the disadvantages but I can't see widespread adoption with 15mph limits.
E-scooters/bikes are great for urban transport but I don’t really think they’re the solution for most people for longer distances e.g. commuting to the next town.
MOT
Is a test one day a year, what about it? Are you suggesting it stops cars with dangerous defects being driven ? That being the case do MOT failures only happen when they are presented at the testing station ?
How naive to think that there are no unsafe / uninsured cars on the . considering the % of such on UK roads
Who said that there are no unsafe/ uninsured cars?
Is a test one day a year, what about it? Are you suggesting it stops cars with dangerous defects being driven ? That being the case do MOT failures only happen when they are presented at the testing station ?
😂 MOTs without doubt stop cars with dangerous defects being driven! Or do you mean all cars with dangerous defects all the time? In which case of course it doesn't but its better than nothing.
A 20mph limit would make e-bikes a more practical solution for urban transport. It would work well with 20mph speed limit areas. The problem would be a significant number of riders would adopt a 20mph speed as the default on off road routes.
But I'm not sure even a 20mph limit would encourage widespread use. Current e-bikes are useful for local journeys particularly in hilly areas and especially when their are traffic free routes. Many people would still not want to mix with traffic though.
My wife very rarely cycles. We were out this week for a short trip using a mix of road and off road paths.
Mixing with traffic suddenly looks at lot less safe when it is an inexperienced rider. Places I think nothing off are suddenly full of potential hazards. Mixing novice cyclists with busy 25-35mph traffic does not feel great.
Add in typical UK weather for the dark part of the year and you can see why people choose other options.
20 mph is fine for experienced cyclists - not so for less experienced. In the netherlands older folk getting back into bikes and injuring themselves on 15mph e bikes is becoming a big issue. I would be very much against raising the limit
The slight issue might be that they aren’t illegal per se. They are illegal for use on the road. Private land, like a workplace, can have whatever rules they like. The path may also have its own rules, especially if it isn’t immediately adjacent to a highway.
the rules of the road apply to any space accessible to the public. also, 'road' or 'highway' has a lot wider definition than you might imagine. it includes footpaths, pavements and verges for instance, as well as cycle paths.
the OP's work site is not subject to the rules of the road.
the law was changed some years ago IIRC regarding publicly available spaces to give police the tools to deal with nuisance gatherings in maccyD's and such.
TBH if people want to risk prosecution riding unregistered, uninsured e motorbikes and de-restricted ebikes at speed they're welcome to in my view but doing so on cycle paths is a dick move. i'm sure a lot of us could get a road bike up north of 25mph for a burst but generally people aren't doing that a lot or for long. cracking along at 40mph on a cycle path is rude.
If you find 15mph to restrictive you should just ride a normal bike and go as fast as you like.
20 mph is too fast for crowded bike lanes and shared use paths.
- Cycling hero's shouldn't need an ebike.
