Letter: Electric transport needs innovative rulemaking
JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
An electric bike rider travels in the bicycle lane along South King Street on Aug. 30.
I agree Hawaii needs to update rules and regulations for personal electric transportation (“Riding without rules,” Star-Advertiser, Aug. 31), but this includes much more than bicycles.
As a commuter cyclist, I see lots of innovation in electric transportation, but also lots of potential safety hazards. Besides bicycles, there are electric tricycles, solo wheels, scooters and even skateboards using roadways, some without pedals and some moving at the speed of automobile traffic. This diversity and innovation is a great way to get people out of cars, but that makes it hard to classify them for the creation of rules and regulations.
I suggest using speed and size as key criteria. Vehicles that are smaller and slower than automobiles should be treated like bicycles. Things smaller but faster than a car can be placed in a new class with new thinking about rules. Let’s encourage innovation but be safe while we’re at it.
Travis Idol
Downtown Honolulu
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