Lawless scooters run amok on Kelowna streets

[Silverstarqueen]

I saw a senior type scooter crossing against the light at a major intersection. Nearly stopped my heart. They did make it across, but all the traffic that had the green light had to stop for it. I've also seen a particular lady quite frequently travelling here and there with traffic, against traffic, sometimes in casts and bandages. I think some of the seniors just don't really care if they die.

[Bsuds]

They sometime appear to be oblivious to what goes on around them and some should not be allowed out on the roads.

[Ken7]

My understanding is as long as the gas powered engine does not exceed a given CC rating no insurance is required at all.

Sadly, like bikes no-one enforces the rules.

The scooter like the cycle must obey all traffic signals and rules. The other day this older fellow was scooting down Gordon and as he came to Bernard he was confronted with a red. Well he cut in front of two lanes of traffic on the crosswalk and went to the other side. Lucky the fellow next to my pic-up stopped or he may have been struck down in a marked crosswalk. He crossed Gordon and pressed the walk signal to continue south.

It totally surprises me firstly that you can run a scooter without insurance on the street and second that the RCMP seem to turn a blind eye. Don't bounce back with manpower issue because I won't buy it, that's another topic. Once we have a scooter fatality and someone of high and mighty powers speaks out, then they will look closer at the abuse and the failing to follow the rules.

It will first take someone's life to get that ball rolling or helmet.

[Daspoot]

We already have too many rules put in place because of isolated incidents. The thing about threads like this is we don't hear about the 99% of the time when scooter of all types are operated without problem.

[kgcayenne]

The instructions on the shampoo bottles aren't for the 99% either...

[Wave101]

Are the RCMP closing their eyes to reckless Scooter drivers in Kelowna? During the past week I have witnessed several Scooter drivers on the sidewalks, displaying no license plate, no helmet, and the best one was today on Glenmore between Yates Road and Union; driving across Glenmore with a small girl (under 10) in a Crosswalk! Is it just me?!!

FYI, electric bikes with 500 watt motors or less and a top speed of 30 Kph are not considered motorized vehicles. You will notice that those electric scooters have petal mounts, they are considered bicycles and are subject to the same rules as bicycles.

[Daspoot]

The instructions on the shampoo bottles aren't for the 99% either...

Yeah, but we don't make and enforce laws because of the 1% who get it in their eyes, that would be silly, which is what a lot of our laws and rules are becoming. For reference take a look at the thread about what happened at the school that got rid of their playground rules.

[36Drew]

My understanding is as long as the gas powered engine does not exceed a given CC rating no insurance is required at all.

Your understanding is incorrect.

There are "Motor Assisted Cycles" which are also referred to as e-bikes. They are electric, limited to 500 watts or less, cannot exceed 32km/h on flat ground without pedalling, and must have pedals affixed to them. You must be at least 16 to operate them, and they are to be driven/ridden like a bicycle. A bicycle helmet is required at a minimum. Bicycles with electric conversions are legal as long as the conversion meets the required limitations.

There are also "Limited Speed Motorcycles". They are gas powered, 50cc or less, cannot exceed 70km/h. They must be registered, licensed, and require a class 5/7 or 6/8 license to operate. Riders must wear a proper motorcycle helmet at a minimum. (and shorts/t-shirt and flip-flops for maximum douchiness, because the road is magically softer for scooter operators). They ride in traffic and follow the same rules of the road as any other motor vehicle.

Bicycles with electric gas motors, Skateboards and foot scooters with gas or electric motors, segways and other similar-powered devices are not legal to operate on public highways (any publicly-travelled road and parking lot) or sidewalks anywhere in BC.

http://www.icbc.com/registration-licensing/offroad-other/low-powered/motor-assisted for a description of what constitutes an MAC and LSM.

[forum]

FACT: People will always get hurt.

[grammafreddy]

I wish ATVs were street legal in BC.

[Bsuds]

I wish ATVs were street legal in BC.

Just what we need GF roaring through the centre of Grand Forks on an ATV @ 70Kms!



Or anywhere else for that matter!

[tamarrash]

I've seen this many times, regularly see people driving their scooters up the sidewalks along Glenmore Rd, esp later in the night. I've actually seen two people driving them up and over the pedestrian bridge and then carry on down the sidewalk along the highway. I couldn't tell you if these are electric or gas powered, but they aren't pedal types. These are like full size Vespa scooters, with the ability to go very fast and weighing a couple hundred pounds. Bloody idiots riding like this

[Anonymous123]

Are the RCMP closing their eyes to reckless Scooter drivers in Kelowna? During the past week I have witnessed several Scooter drivers on the sidewalks, displaying no license plate, no helmet, and the best one was today on Glenmore between Yates Road and Union; driving across Glenmore with a small girl (under 10) in a Crosswalk! Is it just me?!!

FYI, electric bikes with 500 watt motors or less and a top speed of 30 Kph are not considered motorized vehicles. You will notice that those electric scooters have petal mounts, they are considered bicycles and are subject to the same rules as bicycles.

Bicycles are not allowed to be ridden on the sidewalks.

[psychprof]

I once saw an elderly gent driving one with 2 trailers full of yard waste being towed behind.

[Danielson99]

For the most-part the scooter riders in town are very careful and follow the rules. Sure there are some incidents that raise eyebrows. One thing I'd like to state is that any concern I have towards scooters is dwarfed by the concern I have for the thousands of idiots driving cars in our city. Just one trip downtown and back home will easily show me double-digit numbers of people texting while driving, talking on their cell phone while driving, smoking in their car with a small child in a car seat...the list of morons goes on and on. The difference is that the idiots driving the cars while texting/talking on cell phones have a deadly weapon under their control, a scooter is primarily only a danger to the person riding it.

So yeah, talking about renegade scooter riders seems like a waste of time when there are people being seriously hurt or killed on our streets every year because of the huge percentage of drivers that can not seperate themselves from their cell phone for the 10 minutes they drive somewhere.

I think if someone gets caught texting or talking on their cell phone while driving they should lose their license for 1 week, then for 1 month on a second offense and for a year on a 3rd offense, or even for life. You can not understate the danger these people represent on our roads. Scooters???? yeah...not so much.