A lot has been spoken and written about the Segway Personal Transporter (PT) and not all of it is true. This page aims to clear-up of a lot common Segway myths and misinformation. Make sure you know the truth before making your judgments.
MYTH: Segways are not safe – they can crush your toes or injure someone.
TRUTH: Thousands of hours of pavement and other pedestrian environment use, all over the world, by police, emergency medical technicians and postal workers is testimony to the safety and utility of the Segway PT.
In the unlikely event of a collision with a pedestrian, its lightweight frame and electronic safety mechanisms help to minimise the impact. And with its low pressure tires, the PT is designed to be foot friendly. A PT without a rider, if rolled over a pedestrian's foot, will cause virtually no discomfort. A PT with a rider will cause less discomfort than being stepped on by another pedestrian's foot.
The Segway® Personal Transporter (PT) has been evaluated by four independent agencies representing interests from around the world.
Centre for Electric Vehicle Experimentation in Quebec (CEVEQ)
Second Phase – “Pilot Project for Evaluating the Segway HT in Real Conditions”
The Second Phase of the two-phase report detailed use of the Segway PT by 143 participants who rode more than 9,000 total kilometers on sidewalks, paths, and roadway shoulders, in three major cities located in the Province of Quebec. The report noted that no incident or serious injury, nor any Segway PT/pedestrian collision or physical interference, was reported during the evaluation. Upon completion the study “Recommendations” indicate that Segway PTs should be allowed to operate on urban pedestrian areas and that such use will have little impact on user safety and still less on the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and other walkway users.
German Federal Board for Road Traffic
“Segway in Public Spaces”
The three-month study was conducted by the German government in conjunction with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Commerce of the Saarland, Saarbruken Police Department, and Municipal Office of Neunkirchen. Results for braking, steering and general handling of the device were very favorable.The study also reports that Segway PTs are best suited for bicycle lanes and pedestrian traffic areas .
Victoria Transport Policy Institute
“Managing Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs) On Nonmotorized Facilities”
This study researched the use of various personal mobility devices such as electric scooters, powered wheelchairs and Segway PTs on non-motorized infrastructure including sidewalks and bike lanes/paths. Overall the study found that Segway PTs would have medium impact or risk to others (namely pedestrians), the same which was found true of joggers and runners. As a comparison, bicycles were found to have medium to large impact or risk to others.
U.S. Department of Transportation/Federal Highway Administration
“Characteristics of Emerging Road Users & Their Safety”
The study was undertaken to clarify the operational characteristics of both motorized and non-motorized transportation. Data was collected to obtain physical dimensions, turning capabilities, acceleration, speed and stopping distance of these devices. The Segway PT and its rider were found to have the second shortest braking distance, highest sight lines, one of the smallest footprints, and quickest perception-reaction time. The Segway PT met or exceeded all recommendations made by the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Guide to the Development of Bicycle Facilities.
Centre for Electric Vehicle Experimentation in Quebec (CEVEQ)
First Phase – “Pilot Project for Evaluating Motorized Personal Transportation Devices”
The first phase of the two-phase report detailed information discovered during the evaluation of motorized personal transportation devices (MPTD) specifically, the ergonomic, operational and technical aspects of the devices. Findings included that the Segway PT was very stable and gave users a feeling of being in control. Also, Segway PTs compared favorably to other types of devices and were far superior in the area of stability as compared to bicycles and mopeds. Lastly the report noted that the Segway PT could meet a large number of mobility requirements for a broad market, could facilitate transfers to other forms of transportation, and serve as an alternative to automobiles.
MYTH: Segways take up too much room.
TRUTH: The PT is designed to be compact. It’s barely wider than an adult male’s shoulders.
A user on a PT takes up roughly the same space as a pedestrian. Someone pushing a PT takes up less room than other items routinely used by pedestrians, including baby prams, shopping trolleys, and people walking pets. A PT takes up less room than a bicycle.
PTs also have the ability to turn on the spot (i.e., a "zero turning radius"), just like pedestrians.
MYTH: Pavements are too crowded already.
TRUTH: PTs are designed to be used on both the pavement and in cycle lanes.
Many pavements are not densely populated but where they are, and in the absence of a cycle lane, the pedestrian-like characteristics of the PT help to ensure there is virtually no perceptible impact on crowding - it's just like having an extra person there (see above).
Remember, using a PT instead of a car will result in one less car on the road too. Fewer cars on the road means there is less pollution, noise and congestion.
When the day arrives where we do see lots of PTs in use in towns and cities, their acceptance by this point will no doubt have brought about much improved changes in infrastructure, with wider pavements, more cycle lanes and happier commuters. Even in the US, where in many states they have been legal since 2002, spotting a PT on the pavement is still quite rare.
MYTH: Segways annoy other pedestrians.
TRUTH: To date, I am not aware of any complaints to local officials from the general public concerning PTs.
On the contrary, curious and excited pedestrians approach PT owners. Legalising PTs would be evidence of the Government’s commitment to forward thinking and helping to solve transportation problems.
MYTH: The Segway is an unstable device.
TRUTH: You do not need to be able to ride a unicycle to ride a Segway PT! The sophisticated array of hi-tech gyroscopes and tilt sensors do almost all of the work for you. They make the PT very stable on both level ground and on slopes.
The PT has also been designed with redundant technology. This means it has more than one of all of the important pieces of hardware. In the event of something failing, the computer will use the duplicate part to keep the machine stable while the rider dismounts safely.
MYTH: Guide and Assistance Animals will be upset by the Segway.
TRUTH: Guide animals are trained to deal with a wide variety of distractions and hazards, and the PT, like many others, is just something they quickly come to realise is not a peril to the human they are assisting.
MYTH: Segway tires will damage the floors of historic buildings.
TRUTH: The standard tyres on PTs are made of a special silicon, non-marring rubber, just like wheel chair tyres. They do not damage floors.
MYTH: They’re simply too fast for use on the pavement.
TRUTH:
All PTs have a maximum speed of 12.5mph (20kmph), that's uphill, on flat ground and even downhill with a tail wind! The average operating speed will of course be less than the maximum.
To put 12.5mph into perspective, the worlds fastest runner can run 100m in 9.78 seconds (source: bbc.co.uk)- that's approximately 26mph! After 200 miles of usage, my PT displays an average speed of 4.2mph, which is slower than a typical jogger.
A PT operates safely even when stationary (0mph). It can smoothly change its speed at increments as subtle as required, always perfectly balancing the rider, intelligently monitoring every input, up to 100 times per second.
Intuitively, the rider will match the speed of the PT to the conditions of their environment; riding slowly amongst fellow pedestrians and a little faster in open spaces. If you have a car, ask yourself when was the last time you traveled at its top speed? How fast were you going when you last reversed off your drive - and why?
PTs take up roughly the same amount of space as a pedestrian and provide the rider with an 8” height advantage, which helps the rider see clearly all around.
All of these characteristics make the PT safe on the pavement, as supported by the independent studies mentioned above.
It should be noted that although a PTs top speed is "hard-coded" in the platform (and thus unchangeable), their InfoKey controller can be programmed to restrict a PTs top speed to anything between 0 and 12.5 mph. As such, restrictions could be put in place to limit their top speed to any speed deemed acceptable (6mph, 8mph, 10mph, etc.).
MYTH: Segways are for lazy people / Segways will make you lazy/fat.
TRUTH: A PT is a form of transportation, not an exercise machine. It is all about efficiency and fun. You can travel further and faster than you would normally on foot. So, ask yourself, how far are you going and how quickly do you want to get there? (See the following myth for more detail on this point.)
Should high calorie cakes be made illegal because they make people obese? Of course not. People make their own decisions in life. If people want to walk, cycle or exercise, they are free to do so. As such, a Segway PT will not make somebody become lazy. If a person is already lazy, it would be better for the environment if they chose to use a Segway PT rather than their car.
Calorie-wise, unlike a car or scooter, you are always standing up on a Segway PT and need to move your body to effectively operate the machine.
And will it make you fat? Only if you eat it!
MYTH: Walking is just as good - so why not walk?
TRUTH:There is nothing wrong with walking. Owning a Segway does not remove your ability to walk or cycle, or use your car. But consider, if you have one hour for lunch and walk at an average speed of say 2.5 miles/hour, you could probably walk approximately 1 mile to give yourself 15 minutes to do some shopping. On a Segway PT you could easily travel the same distance twice as quickly, meaning you have 30 minutes to shop. Furthermore, you may very well be able to travel 3-times as far/quick (depending on the surrounding area). In fact, in ideal conditions, e.g., with a cycle lane available, you could travel 4-times further/more quickly. Four-times more quickly would give you approximately 50 minutes of shopping, no parking hassles, no emissions and no sweating!
The following diagram shows a 1 mile radius inner circle and a conservative 2 mile radius outer circle:
Twice the radius provides four-times more area for you to explore. Four-times the radius gives sixteen-times the area! This is perhaps one of the reasons why police services, large warehouse attendants, theme park staff, etc., use Segways to get more from their patrollers/staff. All without utilising a car!
And of course, not everyone is able to walk at 2.5miles/hour. Walking only a mile might be too much for the elderly or people with certain kinds of disabilities (see Myth 17).
MYTH: Segways are illegal everywhere.
TRUTH: At the time of writing, PTs are legal in 43 states and the District of Columbia in the United States of America. They have legal status in Europe, too: Austria;
Czech Republic;
France;
Greece;
Hungary;
Italy; and
Portugal.
PTs are tolerated in Spain and the Netherlands. Also, following a very positive independent study carried out in Germany, Segway PTs may soon be legal there, too. Segway tour businesses are emerging, jobs are being created and new markets developing.
In the UK, it is currently not legal to use them anywhere other than private property with the owners permission.
MYTH: Segways are plagued by software/recall problems.
TRUTH: Since unveiling the Segway PT in December 2001, Segway products have only been recalled twice. They are extremely safe and reliable machines. To put this into perspective, consider: “On average, a used car will have three recalls and some have had up to 20.” (Source: TimesOnline.co.uk)
The first recall (2002) rectified an issue for users who failed to observe low battery warnings and continued to ride. By continuing past the low battery warnings, the PT was potentially unable to cope with high-drain situations.
The second recall (2006) involved an unlikely combination of actions, that could result in unexpected reverse torque being applied to the wheels. At the time of the announcement, the issue had only been reported to have occurred on 6 machines.
Even though it appears more than 99.9% of PT users have never reported these particular issues, Segway INC is so committed to safety, that they immediately informed the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and created a software fix to solve the problem.
Segway INC offers the upgrades for free to all of its customers, worldwide, which for many users, also adds enhanced support for the use of lithium-ion batteries.
MYTH: They're just like all the other mini-motos, electric scooters and quad bikes. They're a nuisance!
TRUTH: PTs are unique and are unlike all of the above in lots of important ways:
their top speed is 12.5mph. Mini-motos, scooters and quad bikes can usually travel much faster;
PTs are very quiet and will not cause anyone any sleepless nights;
PTs operate safely and are completely controllable at very low speeds (even when stationary). Scooters and mini-motos need to move at speed to remain stable - a PT is dynamically stabilised requiring no skill to remain upright;
PTs are small, taking up roughly the same amount of space as a person. Scooters and quad bikes are significantly larger in size;
PTs can turn on the spot, just like a person. Mini-motos, scooters and quad bikes require a lot of space to turn, making them unsuitable in pedestrian areas; and
PTs provide the rider with an excellent view 8" above their normal height. This allows the rider to clearly see around them and for other pedestrians and road users to see them.
MYTH: If you step off a Segway whilst it is turned on, they'll carry on riding by themselves until they hit something.
TRUTH: If, for some reason, a rider leaves a PT whilst in balance mode, the machine automatically senses that the rider is no longer present. In this situation, the PT will beep and shake whilst rolling forward a few feet before turning itself off and stopping completely.
MYTH: Segways are just a passing fad and will die a death like the Sinclair C5.
TRUTH: The Segway was first unveiled in 2001 and became available to purchase in 2002. Today, over 200 authorised dealers exist all over the world, with sales in the tens of thousands. In comparison, the Sinclair C5 was released in January 1985 and by September that year, it was clear the project was already failing (Source: SinclairC5.com / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair_C5).
Despite perhaps similar intentions (i.e. to release an alternative, efficient and environmentally friendly form of transportation), it is clear the recumbent three-wheeled Sinclair C5 and the dynamically stabilised two-wheel Segway PT are very different.
Segway sales continue to increase and second generation Segway PTs are now available; the Segway PT is here to stay.
MYTH: Segways do not have any brakes.
TRUTH: A Segway PT does not have a traditional set of brakes, yet it has a highly effective breaking system. In fact, the breaking capabilities are exceptional, allowing the machine to out-stop a bicycle, kick scooter, inline skates, as recorded in the "Characteristics of Emerging Road Users & Their Safety" study.
Reverse torque from the motors slows the machine down. Whenever a rider shifts their weight counter to the current motion, the machine will slow down quickly and safely. Put simply, if you are going forward, you "brake" by leaning backwards. The further you lean, the quicker you stop; an incredibly intuitive action.
Whilst you cannot actually see the brakes in a Segway PT, the same way you may see evidence of them on a car or a bicycle, they are always present, never affected by overheating or moisture, and never require maintenance or replacing.
MYTH: Segways are only for people with disabilities.
TRUTH: The Segway PT is not classified as a medical device*. In fact, all medical applications of the technology behind the Segway were licensed exclusively to Johnson & Johnson for their iBOT product. Despite this, the universal design of the Segway PT makes it perfectly suitable for people with or without many kinds of disability.
Providing an individual can climb onto and off of a Segway, and operate its control mechanism, they can use the Segway PT. It has therefore become a popular mobility device for many people, people who are able to stand but for whatever reason, cannot walk, or cannot walk far or whom find it difficult/painful to walk or balance.
For people with disabilities who are able to use a Segway, they tend to experience better mobility compared with a wheelchair, due to the fact that they are standing, rather than seated (although there are some third-party seating options), which uses more muscles. They also remain at eye level, rather than having to look up from a wheelchair. Importantly, it also blurs the edges between who is disabled and who isn't - the universal design means you can't tell.
So in summary, the Segway can be a useful tool for people with certain kinds of disability, but it is not classified as a medical device. The benefits it offers, it offers to all.
*The Segway PT is not recognised as an "invalid carriage" in UK law. Any person with a disability considering using a Segway should seek advice from their GP.
