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)

Thursday, July 07, 2005

Segway Owner Fined $90 --- First in Canada

Reference GlobeandMail.com and Osprey News Network

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050706.wsegway0706/BNStory/National/

Wednesday, July 6, 2005 Updated at 11:38 PM EDT
Canadian Press

Niagara Falls, Ont. — "In what is believed to be a Canadian first, a Niagara Falls real estate agent has been ticketed and fined for driving a two-wheeled battery-powered scooter on a public street.
Pierre Lefeuvre, 54, made headlines last fall after he was charged with failing to have a licence and insurance for riding his Segway Human Transporter along a city street.

Mr. Lefeuvre took his battle to provincial offences court Wednesday, claiming the high-tech gadget that can move at speeds up to 20 kilometres an hour, isn't a motor vehicle, and thereby didn't require a licence or insurance.
Justice of the peace Santino Spadafora dismissed his claim, saying Segways fall under the Highway Traffic Act's definition of a motor vehicle and that police were justified in filing the charges.

“They are motor vehicles and subject to the laws under the Highway Traffic Act,” Justice Spadafora said, before imposing a $90 fine for failing to have a licence plate on the vehicle.
Charges of failing to have insurance and making an improper left turn were stayed."

Fortunate the insurance and improper left turn issue were stayed because the original charges were for $8000:

• Driving without a licence.
• Driving without insurance
• Making an illegal LH turn

Ref http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/10/04/segway_041004.html

In Summary: Segways do not belong on the sidewalk because they are motorized and because they do not meet Ontario's equipment safety standards for on-road use. They can only be operated where the MofT acts do not apply such as on private property!!!!

# posted by Segway for Ontario @ 2:00 PM

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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