Lime Scooters - Dunedin

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amiga500

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#2163017 18-Jan-2019 11:01

The days of ambling down the street looking into shop windows are over thanks to the Limes. Now you need to walk in a predictable way & keep a good look-out. The other day a guy on a Lime swerved around me & I wouldn't say it was a near miss situation but he was going far too fast for the number of pedestrians on the footpath next to Ballantynes in Christchurch. I'd support a 10kph limit on them if it can be enforced by electronically speed limiting the scooters in some way. If it's just a new law it will be observed in the same way as the cycle helmets law.

tdgeek

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#2163040 18-Jan-2019 11:27

amiga500:

The days of ambling down the street looking into shop windows are over thanks to the Limes. Now you need to walk in a predictable way & keep a good look-out. The other day a guy on a Lime swerved around me & I wouldn't say it was a near miss situation but he was going far too fast for the number of pedestrians on the footpath next to Ballantynes in Christchurch. I'd support a 10kph limit on them if it can be enforced by electronically speed limiting the scooters in some way. If it's just a new law it will be observed in the same way as the cycle helmets law.

No respect, couldn't care less. If I did that I'd EXPECT to be yelled at, as its dangerous as well as disrespectful.

There is a hate relationship between drivers and spandex wearing cyclists who take up most of the road as if they own it, same will happen here with scooters. The pity is the many safe and respectful scooter riders will be hated as well

Batman

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#2163049 18-Jan-2019 11:40

Handsomedan:
I see there's now an accident being reported in the "news" from Dunners - Truck vs Lime.

Appears a young lady was Liming at about 2am and was hit by a truck...here I was thinking that they all got juiced overnight and were impossible to find after 9.30pm.

Maybe the scooter had a bit much to drink

Handsomedan

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#2163052 18-Jan-2019 11:54

amiga500:

I'd support a 10kph limit on them if it can be enforced by electronically speed limiting the scooters in some way. If it's just a new law it will be observed in the same way as the cycle helmets law.

10km/h (as fast as it may seem to a pedestrian) is actually too slow to be fully in control of one of the Lime style scooters...Lime's in particular have narrow and high handlebars, which make low-speed riding very hard. Ever seen the wobbly take-off of a new-to-Lime rider? That's pretty much how a 10km/h limiter will make them permanently. Out of control.

I own and ride an e-scooter. I ride it as fast as it'll go, when conditions permit. I wear a helmet and I try to stick to bike lanes (not necessarily the legal place to ride it, but ultimately one of the safest) and roads. If I feel particularly vulnerable or if I am forced to, I'll go on the pavement, as it's currently legal and permitted to do so.

I have learnt whilst riding my scooter, just how badly some people walk...no care for anyone else and no consideration for other users of the pavement...i.e. other walkers, runners, kids, elderly and people in wheelchairs or on crutches (which I also had to endure for a couple of months last year, but that's another story entirely). Simply meandering across a pavement when it's busy, or walking six-abreast is just as frustrating as the cyclists doing the same on the road.

Ultimately, there's more than just you on the pavement and you DO need to think about the other users...a 10kph limit is not going to change that...times have changed and meandering across the pavement looking in shop windows is still OK - provided you understand that you might be in people's way and they may get just as annoyed with you as you are with them.

For reference - I'm not a young kid and I am not a hoon.

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jonathan18

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#2163080 18-Jan-2019 12:30

My use of my e-scooter is essentially identical to @Handsomedan (cycle lanes/roads wherever possible; sensible middle-aged helmet-wearing rider!), and hearing of this accident in Dunedin this morning was another reminder of the potential dangers. On Tuesday this week I had a very, very close call with an SUV. There was absolutely no question that I was in the right, legally speaking, but that would be cold comfort should I have been hit!

It was at a roundabout; no cars to my right and ahead, an SUV to my left but a decent distance away, more than adequate distance to justify going (I thought). But as I got close to their side of the road (ie, close to half-way around the roundabout) it became apparent they hadn't slowed down enough. At that point it was simply too late to brake, and I was already going max speed (about 26kmh) so there was nothing to do but continue to yell at the driver. In the end they saw me and were able to slow down enough to miss me by a matter of a few centimetres.

They slowed down enough to see that I wasn't hit and then drove off. I did get their number plate and submitted a traffic report, though I'm not sure if that'll make any difference!

My takeaways from this incident have been 1. 'defensive driving' is even more critical than I thought when riding an e-scooter; at roundabouts I am now incredibly cautious about venturing out in such circumstances; 2. as fast as that 26kmh seems when riding, that you've got nothing extra to give when in such a tight spot means the risks are so much greater than, say, being on a bike (and, therefore, see 1).; 3. NZ drivers suck.

I hope the person in Dunedin's ok; scooter vs truck is about unbalanced as a traffic accident can be.

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#2163287 18-Jan-2019 15:51

jonathan18: There was absolutely no question that I was in the right, legally speaking, but that would be cold comfort should I have been hit!

This. A lot of people don't understand that being right is not what matters at the end of the day. Keep safe out there!

mattwnz

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#2163338 18-Jan-2019 16:34

Handsomedan:

amiga500:

I'd support a 10kph limit on them if it can be enforced by electronically speed limiting the scooters in some way. If it's just a new law it will be observed in the same way as the cycle helmets law.

10km/h (as fast as it may seem to a pedestrian) is actually too slow to be fully in control of one of the Lime style scooters...Lime's in particular have narrow and high handlebars, which make low-speed riding very hard. Ever seen the wobbly take-off of a new-to-Lime rider? That's pretty much how a 10km/h limiter will make them permanently. Out of control.

If that is the case, that sounds like a design problem with them. I think scooters are better to have bigger tyres and wider handles which give more leverage. I always hated riding a conventional scooters due to the narrow handlebars which made steering difficult, and if the wheel hits something on the road, it can be difficult to control.

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kingdragonfly

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#2163901 20-Jan-2019 07:19

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Oblivian

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#2165372 22-Jan-2019 13:48

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/110076335/man-takes-lazboy-on-a-lime-scooter-around-dunedin

Turns out the rule needs a bit of wording change too.. the barrier-ed ones are considered 'cycle paths'. And its actually the white painted lane cycle ways are the no-no.

I had interpreted the designed for sole use as the segregated but within the gutter/road bounds - seems not!

E-scooters can be used on the footpath or the road – except in designated cycle lanes that are part of the road (which were designed for the sole use of cyclists).

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/107572115/new-electric-scooters-allowed-on-footpath-and-road-but-not-cycle-lanes

nzkiwiman

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#2165521 22-Jan-2019 15:51

^ Twas confused about what cycle ways were ok and what wasn't .. Still am, but good to know the protected cycleways are ok for Lime

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