Comment: There is a very good reason that areas with a mix of cars and pedestrians have a speed limit of 10km/h - to reduce the risk of collisions with vulnerable pedestrians. Our research, cited above, shows that the same speed limit should apply to micromobility devices using ordinary footpaths.
Update 27 April 26:I am staggered by the claims of "experts" at a hearing today. The argument that a 10km/h limit will force e-bike riders onto roads and so be more exposed to collisions with cars totally ignores the risk of death or serious injury to pedestrians on footpaths. My decades of research shows that 10km/h is an appropriate limit for footpaths other than in crowded areas (my research indicates that 5km/h is appropriate for crowded pedestrian areas). There are good reasons that shared zones limit vehicles to 10km/h.
Also the argument that bicycles become unstable at speeds under 10km/h is nonsense. If a bicycle/e-bike was unstable at this speed then it would be an unsafe design, irrespective of speed.
News
Created by Michael Paine, November 2023.