A guide to which European nations permit the use of Self Balancing Scooters on public roads and pavements. A map showing which countries allow them, which ones are unclear, which ones enforce regulations and which ones do not.
It also gives ideas to loopholes to using these. For example the Crown Prosecution Service banned the use of Self Balancing Scooter or Hoverboards and placed them in the same category as Segways, however, what has not been mentioned is that you can use them in many other public spaces such as parks; including The Royal Parks in London.
Why Should they be Illegal in some countries?
There are obviously arguments for and against, we don’t see why they should be illegal but the fact is they are. So its best to know your right and operate powerfully within the system than be powerless outside it; and end up feeling helpless if you get fined or an overzealous officer tries to confiscate your scooter and treat you like a child.
Lets look at the safety features and try to get an understanding of these scooters so when your seen being responsible there will be less cause for concern and we don’t give our fellow riders a bad name. There are some included safety features built in to these scooters to help make them safer; but that doesn’t make them 100% foolproof!
One feature our scooters incorporate is a system which stops them from rolling away downhill at high speed. They don’t have brakes, so the direct drive motors are engaged at all times so the motor cannot go into a neutral or roll mode.
As the battery lowers, our self-balancing scooters will begin to decrease the top speed and eventually not operate when battery life is under 10% capacity, which we have chosen for long-term battery health as-well as safety! With this feature, the battery won’t suddenly go dead and send the rider flying off.
- Weight – There is a Minimum Weight Needed of 20 KG / 44Lbs (3 Stone 2 lbs); providing the rider is above the weight height is irrelevant.
- Protection – For Children we suggest Helmet, Knee-Pads, Elbow-Pads and Definately Wrist-Guards (for a few pounds on Amazon you can save an awful lot of tears
- AGE – We put the age down to the parents discretion, but like anything its all relative. If you have a large garden or access to a safe area then providing your child is equipped with the above items then anywhere from 4 years and upwards; if you are leaving them to their own devices then it depends on your environment rural or urban.
To put it bluntly if you are happy to roll them out on their Rollerblades or bicycle then you can let them out on The Self Balancing Scooter.
You MUST exercise a great deal of caution when operating a self balancing scooter, especially when outside your home. Scooters are perfect for getting around, however, just because they are self-balancing doesn’t make the rider immune to falling over (especially when getting to grips with them). There is still a brief learning curve when operating one of these whether it’s a 2 wheel or unicycle variant.
So follow these points:
- Ride Responsibly
- Be considerate to surrounding people
- Know where you can ride if they are banned; for example if you live in London don’t go tearing down Oxford Street when they have just been banned, go to the local park where they are allowed and you will have a lot more fun!
