- Sep 25, 2000
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Segway Hits Legal Pothole in California
SAN FRANCISCO -- With its love of geek chic and congested streets, San Francisco might have been expected to embrace Segway, the environmentally friendly, self-balancing personal vehicle that promises to entice people out of their smog-spewing cars.
Instead, the city on Monday becomes the first large municipality to outlaw the Segway Human Transporter on its sidewalks -- more than a month before the chariot-like vehicles are made available to the public.
The Board of Supervisors acted last month following intense lobbying by Segway LLC in state capitols to change laws to permit the two-wheeled vehicles on sidewalks.
Critics say the Segway is a safety hazard on sidewalks because it weighs 69 pounds and travels at up to 12.5 mph -- three times faster than the typical pedestrian. No state is requiring that its drivers be trained, although some have set minimum age and helmet requirements.
In hilly San Francisco, officials feared the battery-powered Segways would cause more problems than they would solve, particularly for the disabled and senior citizens.
"There were statistics submitted to us about injuries, and the Segways themselves did not have adequate safety features to alert people they might be behind them," said Tom Ammiano, a San Francisco supervisor who supported the ban.
Segway officials say the scooters have been tested for 100,000 hours on city streets across the nation without injury.
Along with California, about half the states that passed laws to allow the Segway also permit cities to opt out, but so far most major municipalities are taking a wait-and-see approach, Dailida said.
Segway expects New York to allow the vehicle throughout the state except in New York City, where use in the first year would be limited to government and commercial users.
SAN FRANCISCO -- With its love of geek chic and congested streets, San Francisco might have been expected to embrace Segway, the environmentally friendly, self-balancing personal vehicle that promises to entice people out of their smog-spewing cars.
Instead, the city on Monday becomes the first large municipality to outlaw the Segway Human Transporter on its sidewalks -- more than a month before the chariot-like vehicles are made available to the public.
The Board of Supervisors acted last month following intense lobbying by Segway LLC in state capitols to change laws to permit the two-wheeled vehicles on sidewalks.
Critics say the Segway is a safety hazard on sidewalks because it weighs 69 pounds and travels at up to 12.5 mph -- three times faster than the typical pedestrian. No state is requiring that its drivers be trained, although some have set minimum age and helmet requirements.
In hilly San Francisco, officials feared the battery-powered Segways would cause more problems than they would solve, particularly for the disabled and senior citizens.
"There were statistics submitted to us about injuries, and the Segways themselves did not have adequate safety features to alert people they might be behind them," said Tom Ammiano, a San Francisco supervisor who supported the ban.
Segway officials say the scooters have been tested for 100,000 hours on city streets across the nation without injury.
Along with California, about half the states that passed laws to allow the Segway also permit cities to opt out, but so far most major municipalities are taking a wait-and-see approach, Dailida said.
Segway expects New York to allow the vehicle throughout the state except in New York City, where use in the first year would be limited to government and commercial users.
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