You are not allowed to use motorised skateboards, roller skates or roller blades on public roads, footpaths or nature strips. But, you can use these on private property.
Just confirming for Victoria Aus. Now ill chase up fine cost?
the fine is something stupid, like $300~$600 I swear you get less fine for importing drugs.
Here in NYC things may be a little different where there are more important things to do. CaseyNeistat posts a video riding right up to officers and asking if they are illegal. One even says its not a priority. LOL
iām thinking about getting a petition started in my area to formally allow electric skateboards anywhere a road bicycle is allowed. Similar overall speed, lane footprint, and terrain requirements means it makes sense on paper, but people get real hung up on the word āmotorā due to the misuse of the word motor in the phrase āmotorized vehicleā which is meant to apply to things with gasoline engines and EVs like golf carts which hog the whole lane and inconvenience everybody. They also like to get worked up over the word ālithiumā for obvious reasons.
But i think it would be worth it to at least raise awareness. We arenāt going anywhere, and this isnāt some fad that will disappear by next year. Walmart is selling electric razors and even cheap electric skateboards, and the internet if filling up with these things.
Totally agree with LHB. The law needs to catch up. If I put some front and rear lights on my board and stay within a carefull speed around pedestrians I should be able to ride on paths. Even on roads as long as I obey road rules and where a helmet. Its not the case yet. The law doesnt kniw what to do with these things.
Im checking with my police officer mate so am sure he will say the same as NYPD guys that they have better things to do. Everytime they issue a fine it creates more paper work for them. You would just have caught a cop on a bad day I think if you were fined here in Aus.
Not a final determination from mate yet, but if considered as an unregistered motor vehicle it carries around a $780 fine. I dont like how the Vic Road general rules say that its not even allowed on footpaths. They may consider it as a motorised scooter, but they dont actually specifically define it or put it with them. Going to have to go deeper. Not sure whether they can just include it under scooters unless its defined as such.
@longhairedboy the PC terminology is to present it as motor assisted vehicle. Will get a lot further faster than motorized.
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Two of my best friends are cops and while both had heard that electric skateboards are now legal, neither knew what the legal speed limit was.
Living here in California, specifically Los Angeles area, about 1/3 of the people walking or cruising down the beach bike paths are smoking pot (2/3s in Venice), cops arenāt checking for medical marijuana cardsā¦ever. I doubt Iāll get much if any grief about an eboard as long as Iām not doing anything that could endanger others.
My 13yr old son has a 1000w scooter that tops out about 25mphā¦he went flying past a cop car on the street while we weāre headed to the beach a couple weekends agoā¦cop didnāt bat an eye.
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Iāve been pulled over twice in the last 3 weeks here in San Francisco. I was told Iām not a car by a cop at the stop light the first time (canāt argue with that but I think he meant I should move over further). The second time the officer told me it was illegal to ride a skateboard on the road. I told her it was legal now and she asked me what the legal code was and Iāll have to remember it now. Write it on my board
The wattage maxā¦are they talking watts in or watts out because thatād be a big difference.
If ever there was a vehicle that is a danger to oneās self way more than anyone else itād be a skateboard. But Iām surprised they allow them on the sidewalks though. I thought even regular boards werenāt allowed on sidewalks. I kinda wish they were illegal on the sidewalk because thatās where some Walker is going to get hurt by someone and I never ride on the sidewalk.
Surprised to hear about getting pulled over twice, were you keeping pace with the traffic around you? Clearly cops arenāt quite sure what to make of eboards yet.
I agree that riding an eboard on a sidewalk feels a little inappropriate, but it does limit an eboard as a potential commuter. Some roads you just canāt ride on regardless of speed limit.
LOL, first ticket I ever got, was for riding my skateboard on the sidewalk down Park St. in Alameda. That was 1976.
Itās a small world. My neighbor honest to goodness just told me he was moving there 2 minute ago. I like it there. A little island away from it all.
After looking at the law again Iām overwhelmed thinking Iāll wear my bike helmet and get a light. I can respect the light law and I should be wearing my bike helmet.
Personally I am trying to legalized / check / categorize where my eBoard could be legally be used in open street within The Netherlands and see if itās EU allowed. I have been in contact with RDW which is a private test facility where people check their vehicle / manufacturer testing facility to see if a vehicle meets EU regulation.
Sent them an email and this is what their reply to me:
In late 2010, the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment in the Road Traffic Law 1994 in Article 20b a new category introduced special mopeds. These include to Segway-like vehicles. For this, no European approval shall be required. (Staatsblad (Official Gazette), No. 744). In the Netherlands these vehicles can not be registered. The Minister pointed these vehicles.
What is a special moped? Special moped: moped as defined in Article 1, first paragraph, section e, under d of the Law for which an application for designation under Article 20b of the Law has been submitted to the Minister;
This is Article 1, first paragraph, section e under d of the law. http://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR0006622/HoofdstukIIA/Artikel20b/geldigheidsdatum_29-01-2016
Article 20b (Google Translation in English)
Prior to admission to the traffic on the road Our Minister may a motor vehicle with a maximum design speed not exceeding 25 km / h, equipped with an internal combustion engine with a cylinder capacity not exceeding 50 cm 3 or an electric motor with a maximum continuous rated power does not exceed 4 kW, not being a disabled vehicle, designate a type or individual on the grounds of his safety if:
a. the authorization corresponds to in Article 2, paragraphs a and b, second paragraph and third paragraph, subparagraph a , above purposes; and
b. there been realized rules is required for this vehicle is not in accordance with a type approval in the framework of the European Union.
A ministerial regulation further rules may be adopted concerning the designation.
The next steps isnāt so clear to me at the moment, so I am contacting them for further info! But I am excited if my eBoard could be categorized as special mopeds which means that is legally ride-able in The Netherlands.
If they let you classify it as such then you can ride around slowly when the cops are around, 25kph, and legally have a 5kilowatt board. Thatād be better than our law with the lower wattage max. At 4kw continuous maybe youād have 6000 peak maybe and if you get in a good tuck or not you should be able to hit 80mph maybe?! I still wonder about all this power rating though, are they measuring in or out, Iām guessing in, and even then theyād have to know your voltage and escs and motorās continuous rating, and that info I donāt trust hobbyking as the source and I doubt your police would be searching hobbykingās motor stat bull or seeing how big your heatsink is on your vesc
Chicago cops donāt care.
We got bigger issues
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Thatās the year i rode a skateboard out of my momās birth canal.
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Me too!
I have never had any issues except for SF. I was riding on the side walk next to the convention center. There apparently is a sign saying no skateboarding on the sidewalk. I totally missed it. No ticket, though.
Meanwhile here is `straya we have a 250w limit on all electric vehicles, and itās illegal to use them on public roads/footpaths.
True, but if you donāt do anything to cause a nuisance or safety hazard to others then the police will in all likelihood leave you alone. I can speak from both sides of the law. Not only have I been riding e-boards for 2 years in Victoria but I am also a cop!
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wait victoria? as in BC?