Surprise: Segway loses to parked car in crash testing
Click above to watch a video of the crash-test
German authorities have crash-tested the Segway and found that it's unsafe. Well, unsafe when running head-first into a parked car at nearly ten miles per hour that is. Uh, were we supposed to be surprised at this result? We'd be willing to step out on a limb and imagine that running into a building, concrete barrier or telephone pole at this same speed on a Segway would also prove dangerous. Clearly, we need to do something, right? While we are at it, why not legislate unicycles off the road. If we're already doing that, bicycles should clearly be next, followed by any human who's moving at anything over a walking pace. Oh, and helmets for all pedestrians.
Alright, fine... that last paragraph was sarcasm. The fact is that transportation is dangerous. Every year, people are killed driving cars, in airplane crashes and on bicycles. At some point, anybody who gets in or on a vehicle of any sort is taking a risk, and the Segway is no exception. While we have some issues with the Segway (ahem, the price), its supposed lack of safety isn't really one of them. If anyone speaks German and wants to translate any of this, feel free in the comments. Thanks for the tip, overengineered!
[Source: Spiegel Online]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
sidewinder 10:13PM (8/15/2008)
Ever ridden one? I have - these things are among the most poorly designed & engineered things I've ever seen.
They're heavy, like 80-100 lbs heavy.
They have a high center of gravity & are tippy as can be. Sideways tippy that is.
They can get into a runaway forward/backward oscillation pattern that can pitch on your face faster than you can say "george DUBYA bush".
They fall over when you get off of them.
They have a little tiny plastic kickstand that's "designed" to break.
You need a helmet, kneepads, elbow pads & heavy gloves to ride this thing.
They deserve their failure. Useful? Not very.
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tankd0g 10:24PM (8/15/2008)
Money well spent.
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rj 10:36PM (8/15/2008)
I want to see a man running into a car crash test and a bicycle running into a tree crash test - slo mo and the whole bit!
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Nick 2:36AM (8/16/2008)
The German video indicates that they consider it dangerous at speeds of around 15 km/h because even if the user is wearing a helmet, his chin is unprotected. At impact, his head is higher than the car's roof, thus the face and chin will impact first, leading to potentially fatal injuries....Germany still wants to allow Segways nationwide but its use might be restricted to road use, bike lanes or sidewalks in case there is no available bike lane....
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Anthrazit 7:10AM (8/16/2008)
According to the video the German ministry of transportation plans to support the Segway by creating a new regulation for alternate, "green" transportation devices. The draft bill indicates that the Segway might be classified as a small motorbike which means you would be required to have a valid drivers licence (at least the one for small motorbikes or the more common licence for "normal" cars). In order to attain that licence for small motorbikes you have to be at least 15 years of age. Because the Segway doesn't go any faster than 20 km/h (~ 12.4 mph) wearing a helmet is not required.
Until that law is passed Segway owners in Germany need a special permission to take their expensive toy onto public roads.
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Hans Wurst 11:28AM (8/16/2008)
Dear Autobloggreen,
Would you please consider changing your system to one that favors quality over quantity?
This post is a perfect example of how you take a piece of "news" that you don't understand and write up some thoughts based on who knows what.
This may be good for the most blogs list to the right, and it may look good for the advertising revenue, at least short term, but it also makes for more shitty reading and confused and misinformed readers.
The video points out that when you're riding the Segway down a bike path (which in Germany is not just some extra marking on the road), it is not unlikely that somebody in a car will get in your way, because they didn't see you.
I've seen this happen all the time from a bicycle point of view, so it makes a lot of sense to check what damage to expect and what could be done about it.
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eddyrayb1 9:25AM (8/17/2008)
Addressing sidewinder’s points:
1. Yes, they are about 100 lbs. Most of that weight is the batteries.
2. No, they don’t have a high center of gravity. The majority of the weight is under your feet (wheels, batteries). As far as being “tippy”, if you ride irresponsibly, you get what you deserve. Riding as maximum speed and making a 90° turn could (probably will) result in either the Segway tipping over or, and more likely, the rider falling off. It’s called “Physics”. Look it up. Most if not all of the “Segway crash” videos on the internet feature a rider doing something stupid. You’ll see the rider going at full speed and then throwing his entire body weight backwards. When the Segway attempts to put the rider back in an upright position, the rider’s weight (physics again) carries him past the horizontal point. The Segway gives up quickly when dealing with stupidity. Honesty, it’s like watching graduates from the Wile E. Coyote Segway riding school.
3. I’m guessing the oscillation pattern you’re referring to was a widely publicized, but rarely encountered bug in the Segways software in September of 2006. Segway took the high ground by recalling ALL units for a software patch.
4. Yes, they fall over when you get off. Actually they roll forward about five feet then fall over. It’s a safety feature. You don’t want a Segway running around on its own, do you?
5. We’ve come to the point where we agree. Yes, the plastic kickstand was stupid. Good thing they don’t make that model of Segway anymore.
6. A helmet? Always. Just like on any other open air conveyance. Kneepads, elbow pads and heavy gloves? Wile E. Coyote graduates, yes.
7. There are more business related uses then personal, so you’ll continue to see them in downtown areas, airport terminals, college campuses, etc. Being a work related rider (I know you already guessed that), I can tell you that they are very useful. More so than I had originally thought.
8. Free advice. Know your subject. Make sure your information isn’t dated. Stay away from WEC graduates. They are dangerous.
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Mot 5:43PM (8/31/2008)
"Riding as maximum speed and making a 90° turn could (probably will) result in either the Segway tipping over or, and more likely, the rider falling off. It’s called “Physics”. Look it up. Most if not all of the “Segway crash” videos on the internet feature a rider doing something stupid."
It doesn't have to be that way! when you have a platform that trys to think for you but doesn't really know what you want to do, thats where the problems come in. Physics is not the answer.
Take a look at this about 40 seceonds in, 90 deg turn at over 12 MPH on wet pavment and NO issue!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqdB7FC81bA
Sometimes you want something to react in a way you intend it to.
I do think Personal Transportation is on the rise and that is good.
Segway has its purpose, and people will crash on almost anything. I'm sure you have seen someone walking and trip.
Mot
Phil 12:56PM (8/17/2008)
Hans Wurst: This is an interesting bost, if you don't like ABG, don't read it!
I laughed my head off at this one, so it was well worth the post.
Perhaps the German authorities should test running into a parked car at 15 km/h. It's just as dangerous as doing the same on a Segway. Perhaps running would then be legislated against.
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Hans Wurst 12:39PM (8/19/2008)
Phil,
If I find a rotten tomatoe in the store, I like to tell the shop keeper.
Only if I keep finding rotten tomatoes and if I get the feeling the shop keeper doesn't care will I stop going there.
It's nice that you got a good laugh out of this post, but it doesn't change the fact that this post was based on a video in a foreign language that the poster clearly did not understand and therefore he had to just make up some random story instead.
Not exactly what I'd like to see on Autobloggreen. There are plenty of other places to go for that kind of entertainment.
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