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EUC Legality Chart


FlyboyEUC

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I like the sentiment of this idea, "create an EUC legality chart", but it is entirely too complex to express in a chart that we can create here.

As an example, admittedly a complex one, we have a decently sized community of riders of EUCs and other e-scooters here in the Washington DC area. I live in Maryland but ride regularly in three different jurisdictions: The State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Inside DC alone, there are more than 30 different police forces that I may encounter during a ride.  Each one of them has different rules about public safety. DC law says that it is legal to ride an EUC or other PMD like a scooter on the sidewalk, except in the DC Central Business District where it is supposedly illegal. Otherwise we are supposed to ride on the street or bike lanes. However, I have never been stopped for riding on the sidewalk on the CBD and feel like I would be at significantly higher risk riding at 15mph in an auto lane. Plus, a significant amount of the space inside the CBD is in the jurisdiction of the National Park Police or the Capitol Police who don't seem to care unless you ride your (bike, EUC, Segway, scooter) inside the monuments and memorials themselves. We have Segway tours of the sights here in DC, so I can only assume that whatever they allow the Segway tours to do they would allow a private EUC or e-scooter to do as well. 

That description above is significantly simplified as far as actual law and practical enforcement goes. How do I express that in an "EUC legality chart"?

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19 hours ago, dmethvin said:

I like the sentiment of this idea, "create an EUC legality chart", but it is entirely too complex to express in a chart that we can create here.

As an example, admittedly a complex one, we have a decently sized community of riders of EUCs and other e-scooters here in the Washington DC area. I live in Maryland but ride regularly in three different jurisdictions: The State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Inside DC alone, there are more than 30 different police forces that I may encounter during a ride.  Each one of them has different rules about public safety. DC law says that it is legal to ride an EUC or other PMD like a scooter on the sidewalk, except in the DC Central Business District where it is supposedly illegal. Otherwise we are supposed to ride on the street or bike lanes. However, I have never been stopped for riding on the sidewalk on the CBD and feel like I would be at significantly higher risk riding at 15mph in an auto lane. Plus, a significant amount of the space inside the CBD is in the jurisdiction of the National Park Police or the Capitol Police who don't seem to care unless you ride your (bike, EUC, Segway, scooter) inside the monuments and memorials themselves. We have Segway tours of the sights here in DC, so I can only assume that whatever they allow the Segway tours to do they would allow a private EUC or e-scooter to do as well. 

That description above is significantly simplified as far as actual law and practical enforcement goes. How do I express that in an "EUC legality chart"?

In this situation, I'd simply create a map similar to this drone flight map and link that to the local law box. In general, if someone doesn't want to look at the list, an interactive map would be the next step. Also, looking at your "list of different police forces" I think we can safely eliminate quite a few of those as most of them won't be issuing citations for traffic violations or general endangerment of public, such as the US Postal Inspectors or the ATF or the Smithsonian Police. It would be like a Firefighter trying to give a ticket to someone speeding.

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  • 1 month later...
On 7/12/2019 at 12:03 AM, Marty Backe said:

I hope @Smoother didn't decide to bail from the Forum. He seemed pretty upset about this whole thread and his privacy, and he hasn't returned since. ~5-days.

It appears that he really is gone now. I'm sad to see him gone.

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I edited Ireland, to mention there is a public consultation for anyone to give their thoughts on legalising them and why. Plain text counts. 

Send it via email to ppt@dttas.gov.ie with subject line "PPTs Consultation"

There is an optional form to fill and attach on the email. (can be filled on PC or mobile with Adobe Acrobat and print/save as PDF). 

Anyone from abroad can participate. Please do, and share. 

Public Consultation: http://eRide.ie/consultation.pdf

7o85zh1cydk31.png

Here some Social Media posts I did which you can already share:
*Facebook*: https://www.facebook.com/groups/eride.ie/permalink/440487126809029/
*Twitter*: https://twitter.com/ErideIe/status/1168884981260832768
*Reddit*: https://www.reddit.com/r/ireland/comments/cz5aqd/public_consultation_about_legalising_erides_in/
*LinkedIn*: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jeanjosegarciamolina_ireland-scooters-mobility-activity-6574653865000603648-357x

Thanks, Jean.

 

Edited by Jean Dublin
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  • 5 months later...

I don't live in Denmark anymore so my tap on information is not 100%. But my family does so we debated this. They dislike my EUC as unsafe. 

You were allowed to ride at first 2016 but in 2019 they were putting new proposals forward that were to go to vote. If it went forward or not I am not sure. But it went on line that you could only ride an EUC designed to go no faster that 20kmh (keep in mind this is not limited, it is designed max speed). 

So I don't think it is a huge issue as long you don't ride aggressive and fast. The bigger issue that are very hard on are escooters especially rental ones. 

People are getting fined for riding while under influence or alcohol, for ride 2 people on one escoother, wreckless riding, under age riding. 

But where I live now (Sweden) things are pretty much the same. Act nice in traffic and you get alo g just fine. Share a smile and a few 👌👍 then it goes much smoother too. 

If you go 50-60kmh and crash, or worse your wheel hit some kids after your crashed then you are in huge trouble. 

Edited by Unventor
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3 hours ago, Kristof Willen said:

@Flyboy10 I get an error message that the sheet is protected, and need to ask for permission to open it. 

Does anyone know the status of EUCs in Norway ? 

You can ride on the road but only 20kmh. That is the latest I heard. Very similar to rules in Sweden. Here we are classed as bicycles but with few exception. Like you can ride on walking area is there is no bicycle path but only upto 6kmg (below walking speed). 

Edited by Unventor
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I unlocked it for now since this topic has come back up. When I made this chart available, it caused a lot of drama for those riders in places where it is illegal. I locked the file in order to keep a record but not let anyone and everyone read it. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi, I have just researched the law in sweden as I applied to a food delivery job and wanted to use my EUCs. I found this on the transport website (https://www.transportstyrelsen.se/sv/vagtrafik/Trafikregler/Cyklist-mopedist-motorcyklist/Trafikregler/Regler-for-cykel/)

 

Eldrivna cyklar

Cykeldefinitionen har ändrats och det finns förutom den "vanliga" trampcykeln tre andra fordon som räknas som cyklar.

En cykel kan också vara ett:

  • elfordon med trampor; max 250 watt som bara kan förstärka trampningen upp till 25 km i timmen. Här kan du läsa mer om cykel med elassistans.
  • elfordon utan trampor med maxhastighet 20 km i timmen; (a) max 250 watt eller (b) självbalanserande (ex. Segway).
  • elfordon utan trampor, som är avsedda för personer med fysisk funktionsnedsättning. De har ingen effektbegränsning men en maxhastighet på 20 km i timmen (ex. elrullstol, el-skoter).

Om en cykel med elassistans avviker från dessa krav kommer fordonet inte längre anses vara cykel, utan kommer troligen anses vara en moped med andra krav och förutsättningar för att få brukas i trafik.

  OR

Electric bicycles

The bicycle definition has changed and in addition to the "regular" pedal cycle, there are three other vehicles that count as bicycles.

A bicycle can also be one:

electric vehicles with tramps; max 250 watts which can only increase trampling up to 25 km per hour. Here you can read more about bicycle with electric assistance.
electric vehicles without pedals at maximum speed 20 km per hour; (a) max 250 watts or (b) self balancing (eg Segway).
electric vehicles without pedestrians, intended for people with physical disabilities. They have no power limit but a maximum speed of 20 km per hour (eg electric wheelchair, electric scooter).
If a bicycle with electric assistance deviates from these requirements, the vehicle will no longer be considered a bicycle, but will probably be considered a moped with other requirements and conditions for being used in traffic.

 

Cycles which includes EUC can be driven at 20kmh on cycle paths, at walking pace on footpaths and on roads as long as the top speed of the road is below 20km/h

 

i got the job btw!!

 

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My last contact with police on an EUC was getting the feeling i was being followed along the cycle path on the side of the highway. 

It was 0200 and i was leaning full tilt so around 45-50 kph i guess, two cops pass me in a car and the passenger was filming on a phone. Blatantly sending that one to his mates. THey don’t care unless it looks like you are going to create work for them

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I live in the Pacific Northwest. Yes our EUC’s are legal to ride in most places. Most cops don’t care and your more likely to get a thumbs up than anything else. I cringe a bit at some of the videos out there and riders disregarding basic traffic laws. This is what is going to get us banned.  A cop that sees EUC riders run 100 red lights isn’t going to give a warning to the poor rider he/she finally stops.  I’m enjoying these times now and hope I’m wrong and have many more years of legal riding on the roads and bike/walking paths!  We have a lot invested in these machines please be courteous to others it will help our cause. 

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1 hour ago, Bri said:

I live in the Pacific Northwest. Yes our EUC’s are legal to ride in most places. Most cops don’t care and your more likely to get a thumbs up than anything else. I cringe a bit at some of the videos out there and riders disregarding basic traffic laws. This is what is going to get us banned.  A cop that sees EUC riders run 100 red lights isn’t going to give a warning to the poor rider he/she finally stops.  I’m enjoying these times now and hope I’m wrong and have many more years of legal riding on the roads and bike/walking paths!  We have a lot invested in these machines please be courteous to others it will help our cause. 

i really hate people that do that, while filming it and then put it on youtube... morons. idgaf what anyone does but if its illegal dont put in on the fkn internet and ruin it for others

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@esaj nailed it. If you encounter a totalitarian officer, they're looking to get someone for something and you're a target. The more opportunity you present them the bigger the target you are.

Normally, in most any country I've been in, and when not encountering crooked police, people can do most anything and get away with it if they're not causing a panic (or worse). If you're riding an EUC where it's illegal, go slow, be friendly, use safety gear, pass others very carefully, be considerate, be friendly, dress nicely, speak intelligently, and you'll probably be fine, like @Esper points out.

 

 

 

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  • 1 year later...
On 7/8/2019 at 10:42 PM, Seba said:

Good idea, I've added short information about Polish legal situation. Recently I was curious about Slovakian legal EUC status, as few days ago I crossed Polish-Slovakia border and invaded Slovakia on my EUC by riding into it's territory more than three hundreds meters at high speed of about 25 kph! Thankfully, I was able to return back to Poland without causing international incident, being shot or something :w00t2: ;)

Any updates on the rules at Poland? I'm planing some trips for rides to my neighbor country. Greetings from Berlin.

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35 minutes ago, mavo said:

Any updates on the rules at Poland? I'm planing some trips for rides to my neighbor country. Greetings from Berlin.

In theory top speed 20km/h, riding only on bicycle paths and pavement.
In practice, nobody cares. Police don't know the rules and they are few and far between anyway. Just ride safely and you'll be fine. :)

Let me ask you the same question - how is riding in Germany? Is it legal? How is enforcement in practice?

Edited by atdlzpae
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8 minutes ago, atdlzpae said:

In theory top speed 20km/h, riding only on bicycle paths and pavement.
In practice, nobody cares. Police don't know the rules and they are few and far between anyway. Just ride safely and you'll be fine. :)

Let me ask you the same question - how is riding in Germany? Is it legal? How is enforcement in practice?

It's still illegal and police knows about the laws. Police will stop you, register your data and you will get a letter. Mostly people are lucky and just getting a small fine about 70€ on the first time. But others also got big fines and had to go to court, because it's an offense to ride vehicles faster then 6kmh without insurance.

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59 minutes ago, Seba said:

Starting from 20 May new legislation came into action in Poland. Wheels are now classified as a road vehicle in a similar way to bikes. EUCs have to use bike paths wherever they are available, but at the same time EUCs are exempted from using bike lanes. If there is no bike path, EUCs are exceptionally allowed to use footpaths or pavements. In this case you have to ride with speed similar to pedestrian speed (but no exact limit has been defined, so this rule will have effect only in case of accident). There is general speed limit of 20 km/h, but it's worth to note that EUC doesn't have to be speed-limited. Also there are no motor power, weight or any other limits - in fact any wheel is legal.  Also, speed limit of 20 km/h is not enforced in reality. If there is no bike path you can use roadways in a similar manner to bike (except of highways and expressways).

It is worth noting that there is a widespread misconception that EUCs in Poland cannot ride on roadways. It is wrong - in the regulations there is no ban on the use of roadways by EUCs and electric scooters. And since EUCs are classified as road vehicles, according to the general rules they are in fact obliged to ride on the roadway (unless specific provisions state otherwise). Of course there is always a risk that some incompetent policeman will try to fine you for riding on roadway, but it's very unlikely. But if you don't plan to ride on roadways, you don't have to worry at all. I'm riding on roadways for years and never had any problems. 

So in general you can safely ride in Poland on any EUC you like. In general, the attitude of the Police is rather permissive and friendly. As long as you ride responsibly and don't cause a traffic hazards, you don't have to worry about anything. In particular, you don't have to strictly adhere to the 20 km/h speed limit.

*SIGH* ... if only more countries were as open and welcoming to EUCs or any form of PEVs as Poland.  Here in Australia, there's only currently 2 out of 8 states where it's legal to ride this amazing devices. 

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Ukraine

EUCs are actually totally legal at Ukraine, because they are regulated and considered same like electric bicycles: legal upto 3000w nominal motor power, without licence and insurance. With more then 3000w, they are regulated like motorbikes.

You are allowed to ride everywhere, except highways, I guess. No speed limit as far as I know. Of cause, as long you ride responsible on pavements the police won't watch after you. Take care about the potholes! ;)

Especially at Kiew you see everyday a lot of people using their eucs to get to work and back, like it should be everywhere (in my dreams).

Ukrainian gov is planing for little more regulation, because of accidents with electric bicycles but no specific informations out yet.

Guys, give it a try to ride in Ukrainian cities. The cities like Lviv and Kiew are beautiful and have nice big parks.

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Hey, everyone! Can anyone tell me what the status of EUCs is in Israel? anyone been there, or lived/lives there?

I'm currently in Russia (Moscow), but... planning to move to Israel soon. In Russia, no one (I mean, authorities, cops) really gives a damn about the EUCs, I ride wherever I want, at any speed considering safety of others, of course, and vigilance of mine!

But in Israel, as it came to my attention, it's kinda illegal? I hear you cannot even bring it into the country, not by plane, anyway. Any info would be appreciated! thanks!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello,

a small update for "Czech Republic". As personal observed and proofed last weekend (27.06.2021) the same rules as in the capital city ("Prague") occur in the city of "Karlovy Vary" too. There are a few "No Segway" signs along the promenades within the city center of "Karlovy Vary".
But that's very okay as we still can use the street or sidewalk on the other side of the river. :)

 
Edited by danyx
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