Popular among teenagers, the large electric bikes have triggered ‘numerous complaints’ to councils as fears grow for the safety of riders and pedestrians

  • makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml
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    1 month ago

    I’ve been a kid. I’ve got two kids. It’s not that kids are dumb, it’s just that they think they know everything.

    The issue will be figuring out how to get young people to ride responsibly. Something the world has struggled with for years.

    I can’t personally see a solution, except something draconian like banning anyone who doesn’t have a motorcycle licence from having them.

          • makingStuffForFun@lemmy.ml
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            1 month ago

            But will cover the medical costs. It’s not pretty, but, it does what it’s meant to do.

            A bike at 40km/h could definitely kill someone. It could also make them disabled for life.

            At least insurance will help with bills.

      • Damage@feddit.it
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        1 month ago

        I’ve got to be honest, in my area, the people driving the fastest are my fellow millennials. A few Gen X can get honorable mentions (when they drive bad they really put effort into it), but the newer generation seems more careful.

    • Delphia@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      They do the odd “helmet blitz” in my city. Every few months the cops walk around the beach and foreshore just write tickets to everyone not wearing a helmet. In general most people wear their helmets all the time because who knows when the next one will be.

      A few weeks of fines or confiscations for people riding on the footpath like dickheads would probably knock the worst of it on the head.

      • tastysnacks@programming.dev
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        1 month ago

        we really need to stop stealing things. it would be nice to leave my bike and helmet outside of a store and be able to come back to it. if the Japanese can do it, why can’t we?

        • th3dogcow@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          Bicycles are frequently stolen here in Japan. I’ve experienced it myself.

          The difference is that most bicycles are registered with the police and the police take theft seriously, so you’re likely to get it back.

          Also, the majority of bicycles here have a dinky little lock attached to the frame over the rear wheel, so it is easy to lock in seconds.

          Although the locks are not very strong, they decrease crimes of opportunity I would imagine. In fact the one time my bicycle was stolen it had been left unlocked.

          • grue@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            I really don’t understand why more bikes – especially expensive utility bikes, like cargo e-bikes – don’t come with wheel locks.

      • fiercekitten@lemm.ee
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        1 month ago

        The police walk around and issue tickets to cyclists not wearing a helmet?

        …What a waste of time and energy, and a violation of personal liberty.

        • Delphia@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          In a country with socialised medicine and social security we tend to be a bit more accepting of rules for public safety. If only to stop deadshits from clogging up the hospitals with avoidable brain injuries that will see them on disability payments for the rest of their lives.