Segway Getting Real-Life Tests

EReidJ writes: "washingtonpost.com (no registration required) has an article on real-life use of the new Segway scooters, including an update on some of the safety issues and where state laws currently are with use of the Segway. (20 states have specifically passed laws to allow the Segway on sidewalks.) Interesting read."

Comments

segway seems too big

[iocat]

The Segway seems cool, but it doesn't seem like sidewalks are big enough for it. Imagine 200 college kids with jogging strollers (to give an idea of the size) all trying to go somewhere after class.

An amazing technological achievment no doubt, but I'm worried about the practicality.

How far can you lean forward?

[naoursla]

As I understand it, you move forward by leaning foward. The segway moves forward to stay underneath you which keeps you from falling over. Like walking, it is a controlled fall. But there is also a built in speed limit, so if you lean forward too far (trying to go faster) the Segway would not be able to keep up and you would keep leaning farther until your face meets the sidewalk (presumably while going around 12 mph). Does anyone know what keeps it from doing this?

Re:How far can you lean forward?

[Spy Hunter]

It probably gives a tiny spurt of speed, just enough to lean you back the other way, then slows you down. That way you could never sustain a speed above 12 MPH. In fact it could keep your center of gravity from ever travelling faster than 12 MPH if it was careful.

...sidewalks

[magicslax]

In states that haven't explicitly allowed these bugges on the sidewalks, can you use them in bikelanes? What conditions does your vehicle need to meet to be a bike? How about a moped or something of that nature- open, wheeled, anything else?

Political/Marketing clout?

[alouts]

After all the "No Skateboarding/Bicycling/Rollerskating" signs I have seen around various towns, why would so many cities specifically allow these things on sidewalks by passing laws saying so?

Is it all just a load of local lobbyists pressing the city councils? It seems to me like there's enough hype/marketing here to choke a whole herd of horses.

Re:Political/Marketing clout?

[Paul Komarek]

As a cyclist and driver, I claim that bicycles belong on the road because bicyclists most often don't act like pedestrians. As a driver, you need to treat a bicyclist on the sidewalk as another lane of traffic because bicycles can move fairly fast (as opposed to pedestrians, who *can* stop on a dime ;-). This "extra lane" is dangerous because it is unmarked, unofficial, and often forgotten. Even worse are bicyclists on the sidewalk who want to turn left across traffic. There are also problems with pedestrians sharing a sidewalk with bicycles, because of the often wide difference in speed.

A cyclist in traffic behaves much more like a car, and is easy to predict. As a driver and a bicyclist, I have no problem with a bicycle slowing traffic down. It's much safer and less stressful for everyone.

-Paul Komarek

My first thought was the snow.

[systemaster]

Even in milwaukee where you are required to shovel within 24 hrs...there are still places with to much snow for a segway, look at it, it has almost no ground clearance. The tires a large enough that tall bumbs, think like speed bumb, may not be a problem. But snow or tall grass, even with rock hard dirt, would be a problem.
I would counter your thought of a bike on ice...the way the segway works with gyros(I think, never looked at tech specs of it) it might behave better on ice than a bike...it also has a much lower center of gravity, which would also help on ice. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it would be really usable on ice, but I bet it would be better than a traditional bike.

Re:Yeah but....

[bfields]

Anyone try riding a bicycle on ice?

You need to take a trip to the ICEBIKE website....

I rode through the Michigan winter this year. It was a pretty mild winter, and they're pretty fast to clear the roads around here. But it is possible to ride under those kinds of conditions--go very slow, and be very sure you know how much turning/braking you can get away with before you skid!

Oh, and get some really, really good protection for your extremities--the rest of your body will stay warm from the exercise, but those fingers can get cold fast....

--Bruce Fields

Re:BikeRoads

[bfields]

I really hate trying to drive with people on Bikes riding. Here's my issue. I'm in the rightmost CAR lane, and I want to make a right turn. There is a bike lane to my right with a guy that wants to go straight.

The correct thing to do in this situation is to first merge right (giving cyclists already there the right of way, just as if you're doing a regular lane merge), and then take the right turn. But then some cyclists who think bike lanes are *never* to be used by cars get mad at you. The whole situation is a confusing to everyone, which is why I prefer to just bike on the road and ride like a regular vehicle--then we all understand the rules.

Separate thoroughfares for bikes would be more sensible than lanes.

But those separate thoroughfares are still going to have to intersect the regular road system at regular intervals, and getting those intersections right is really important--intersections are where most accidents happen. Try to work out how to have two entirely separate road systems superimposed on each other with safe intersections that don't cause everyone concerned unnecessary delays, and you'll quickly realize it's not worth the trouble.

Just think of bikes as skinny little cars, and everything will make more sense.

--Bruce Fields

pretty sad

[j09824]

I find this pretty sad. The Segway is a neat gizmo, but it doesn't look like very attractive transportation. Bicycles and electrically assisted bicycles are faster, can be used on the road, and allow you to engage in some level of physical activity. Scooters (like the Vespa or Honda) have a much greater range and are about half the price, and they are mature and low-tech. Or you can get a variety of electric scooters, which are quiet and faster as well. The Segway, in contrast, is slow, can't be used on roads, provides no opportunity for exercise, has limited range, and is quite expensive. And, as the article points out, is probably quite dangerous on sidewalks.

Electrically assisted bicycles like this are in a legal limbo: you can't legally use them on bike paths in many places, you can't ride them as fast as a bicycle, and some variants require motorcycle licenses. Yet, they are suitable and highly efficient for travel and commuting.

Similarly, innovative scooters like the BMW C1 (a scooter with a secure passenger cell) fail to get approval in the US, even though they passed lots of safety and real-world tests in Europe.

Yet, a high-tech gizmo like the Segway just breezes through regulatory approvals, probably based on the excellent marketing and celebrity endorsements behind it. First, drivers have to engage in an arms-race with SUVs on the road; will pedestrians now all have to upgrade to Segways in order to use sidewalks safely?

Re:It's actually pretty safe

[ndinsil]

First, if you're riding a segway at it's top speed of about 14 MPH, you can stop in about 15 feet- a runner going that fast takes about 20 feet to stop.

I'm curious as to where you get that "20 feet" number. Curious enough, in fact, to step outside for a quick drill... From a speed of around 14 MPH (about a 16 second 100 pace) I stopped in 5 feet. Of course, I knew when I was going to stop so reaction time didn't come into play, but assuming a moderately slow reaction time (0.2 seconds) at that speed that only adds 4 feet. To be sure, stopping that quickly puts some undesirable stress on a person's legs, but in a panic-stop situation that's not an issue. So don't dismiss the human body too quickly.