Segway driver will fight $8,000 in fines
An Ontario man is determined to fight $8,000 worth of fines he faces for driving his high-tech Segway scooter on the road in the southern Ontario city of Niagara Falls.
At first, Pierre LeFeuvre thought police were joking when they pulled him over in early September for motor-vehicle violations including:
- Driving without a licence.
- Driving without insurance.
- Making an illegal left turn.
The real estate agent, who is among a handful of Canadians who own the scooters powered by a combination of electricity and body movements, plans to fight all three tickets at an Oct. 28 court hearing.
- FROM DEC. 4, 2001: Self-balanced scooter unveiled amid hype
The outcome may help answer the question of exactly how to classify the Segway when it is introduced into Canada on a larger scale.
Though it isn't on the Canadian market yet, a Segway can be purchased south of the border for about $6,000 US.
The futuristic-looking, two-wheeled scooter was launched in the U.S. with great fanfare three years ago. Microsoft's Bill Gates was one of those who predicted the Segway would revolutionize how humans moved.
But sales have not taken off, partly because of the confusion about where they should drive â on sidewalks or roads.
Late last month, New York City officials began meeting to sort out that very question.
As it stands, the Segway isn't allowed on most North American sidewalks, including those in Ontario.
But the New Hampshire-based company argues Segways belong on the sidewalk and even indoors, in large shopping malls and airports, because they were designed to harness human balance and reduce traffic congestion in an energy-efficient way.
Critics say the fact that they can reach speeds of up to 20 km/h makes them a danger to pedestrians on sidewalks.
The company says LeFeuvre is the first case it has heard of in which a Segway user has been ticketed.