Segway for Ontario (an antithesis)

Segways going up to 12.5 mph should not be mixed with either pedestrians or vehicles approved for use on roadways. The following areas of discussion will be bloged: -personal safety -road safety -sidewalk safety -health considerations "without prejudice" All CCRF, 1982 Sc2(b)

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Legislation

1. Be it ordained by the People of the City and County of San Francisco:
   Section 1. Article 5 of the San Francisco Traffic Code is hereby amended ( December 16/02) by adding Section 104, to read as follows:
   SEC. 104. ELECTRIC PERSONAL ASSISTIVE MOBILITY DEVICES.
   (a) It shall be unlawful to operate an electric personal assistive mobility device on any sidewalk in the City and County of San Francisco.
   (b) "Electric Personal Assistive Mobility Device" means a self-balancing, nontandem two-wheeled device, that can turn in place and is designed to transport only one person, with an electric propulsion system averaging less than 750 watts (one horsepower).
   (c) Any person who violates Section 104 shall be guilty of an infraction and, upon the conviction thereof, shall be punished for the first offense by a warning or a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $100; and for a second offense and each additional offense by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500.
2. From the Ontario Ministry of Transportations site “a personal human transporter (i.e. Segway) does not meet Ontario's equipment safety standards for on-road use. This device is not included as a vehicle intended for on-road use under the MVSA, and is considered a device for a pedestrian environment”.
3. Police, in the Niagara Region are enforcing the law --- One man in Niagara Falls made headlines last September, 2004 for being the first known Segway rider in Canada to get fined: $8,000 for not having insurance or a license plate.He also made an illegal left turn off a sidewalk. He also made an illegal left turn off a sidewalk.( ref. Toronto Star 2/28/04)

# posted by Segway for Ontario @ 11:26 AM

Disclaimer:
The word “segway” has come to mean a whole myriad of “fun” sidewalk toys in todays lexicon. Whether it is a two, three or four wheel --- electrically or gas powered ---“personal assistance vehicle”, “personal mobility device” or whatever --- under the trade name Segway, Embrio, Nolet Electric Cruiser, Rad2Go Electric Chariot --- or colloquially as “ginger”, “ruth” or “fred”, --- they do not belong on the sidewalk. Innovative Mobility does not see these vehicles, regardles of what they may be called, as evil but rather innovative and amazing technology that belong on the roadways and not on public pedestrian pathways where they present a clear and present risk to pedestrians and other City stakeholders. Our mantra is pure and simple to all municipalities and regulating bodies “Please keep the sidewalks safe and do not provide preferential sidewalk access to the wealthy” by allowing them to use the sidewalks as their playground”; “there is simply too many open ended and unanswered questions to allow even limited trials of these sidewalk SUV’s or to approve only for use by persons with disability.”

“without prejudice”
The aforesaid is the opinion of Innovative Mobility based on the best available information available today. As we have said before “Segways are not evil, we believe that they are innovative and phenomenal technology – but they do not belong on the sidewalk or any public trails or pathways used by seniors or children. Redefining the accepted definition of “pedestrian” for the benefit of a single company is outrageously inappropriate.”

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