BBC Breakfast item today on illegally modded ebikes

[wiggydiggy]

I find it somewhat ironic that the police are having a crackdown on illegal ebikes but they have rowed back on taking action against motorists who close pass cyclists.

What if you close passed a cyclist whilst on an illegal ebike?

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

The injuries from e-bike usage seems to becoming an issue in A&E's.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2ejgrw9yepo.amp

The numbers would be more informative if they were split into
legal personal EPAC type bikes
legal bike from a rental scheme
illegal bike of whatever description

saying just "ebike" is used very widely and cover all of the above and hides the actual situation

if legal personal ebikes are causing this problem then they need ot be controlled more maybe
if it is the rental ones then the people using then need to be looked at and the companies need to be checked

highlighting problems is all well and good - but unless the proper data is there then the apparent solutions are wrong or punish people who do not cause the problem

 

[Drago]

or punish people who do not cause the problem

Punishing the innocent with a kneejek response while doing little to inconvenience lawbreakers (who are already breaking laws and wont change just because a new law comes along) is the British way of doing things.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Punishing the innocent with a kneejek response while doing little to inconvenience lawbreakers (who are already breaking laws and wont change just because a new law comes along) is the British way of doing things.

Yes - sometimes

but if it gets the right headlines on the right day then it is worth it

(to "the right people")

sometimes anyway

 

[Drago]

but if it gets the right headlines on the right day then it is worth it

Ooh yes. Words like "crackdown" and "zero tolerance" are tough talk indeed, but talk is cheap, cheaper still when it comes from a politicians or public servants mouth.

 

[DRM]

Ooh yes. Words like "crackdown" and "zero tolerance" are tough talk indeed, but talk is cheap, cheaper still when it comes from a politicians or public servants mouth.

They're up there with, "Lessons will be learned" and "taking time to reflect"

 

[Drago]

They're up there with, "Lessons will be learned"

That's the political equivalent of...


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NuAKnbIr6TE&pp=ygUdTmFrZWQgZ3VuIG5vdGhpbmcgdG8gc2VlbWhlcmXSBwkJsgkBhyohjO8%3D


And the sad thing is they really do seem to think were mugs enough to believe it.

 

[classic33]

This fast food delivery rider wasn't quite fast enough when he decided to make off from CVU officers. The rider was detained after a short foot pursuit and the bike was seized section 165. No Driving Licence, No Tax and no Insurance. Seized

 

[Alex321]

The current law allows a throttle to be used up to a speed what is defined as walking speed. I've yet to find a mph number as to what that is.

3.7mph
https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...eapcs-in-great-britain-information-sheet#fn:2

 

[Alex321]

One thought, my impression is many people on cycles have 3rd party insurance often through their house insurance (my own cover is bundled included with my house insurance not even an option). Given how any significant claim and insurance companies are reputed to try and worm their way out of liability, if rider causing damage or injury has their cycle checked by insurance company and it's found illegal won't the insurance company declare it's not covered as they didn't include such cover ie it's not a cycle.

Yes. They will consider it a motorised vehicle, and damage caused by use of those is specifically excluded from most policies (because they legally require a different type of policy)

Do insurance companies still do "knock-for-knock payment of claims (or whatever it is/was called where each company pays their own policy holder's claim irrespective of fault - how would that work is any of those involved tried to find a way out of liability?

It was never "Irrespective of fault". That was for cases where bot drivers were considered at least partly at fault.

 

[Alex321]

I think your guess is wrong, I've read nothing about a legal eBike being seized. I'm certain if that was to happen the owner would be shouting very loudly to the press.

The only seizures I read about are by the Police and Immigration, either the vehicle being seized is illegal or the person on the vehicle is.

He didn't say anything about "legal ebikes being seized", just that it is only people who stop willingly whose bikes are being seized.

 

[Alex321]

My wondering was that what we are discussing we are calling "illegal e-bikes" are not bikes and as never been tested/approved are not "motor vehicles".

Cars being driven without insurance are still cars, tested and approved as cars; it's just the drivers that are at fault and they are still driving "vehicles". What we are discussing are not.

Above is my non-expert wondering, not arguing any facts.

They are certainly "bikes", as that just means a two wheeled vehicle.

And they are also vehicles.

They are not vehicles which are legal to use on the road, but that doesn't stop them being vehicle, or bikes.

 

[Alex321]

I find it somewhat ironic that the police are having a crackdown on illegal ebikes but they have rowed back on taking action against motorists who close pass cyclists.

Not really they aren't.

They are rowing back on taking action over operation snap submissions. Some of which are close passes, others aren't, but it isn't because they are close passes that they are not being dealt with, it is because they haven't got the resources to handle all the submissions.

 

[Drago]

....and the bike was seized section 165. No Driving Licence, No Tax and no Insurance. Seized

View attachment 787000

And Accy didnt get his caviar!

 

[Gwylan]

What if you close passed a cyclist whilst on an illegal ebike?

Happens all the time. Usually accompanied by "do a wheelie" or similar