The Segway HT comes to Finland - as an outlaw
The Road Traffic Act of 1988 does not recognise Dean Kamen's ingenious invention
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By Pietari Peutere
There it is. The invention that was expected to revolutionise the world of personal transport, like the automobile. An "electric personal assistive mobility device". A means of getting around on foot that replaces the legs. Huh? Say what?
It's the Segway® Human Transport of course, the motorised two-wheeled, self-balancing scooter that was developed by American inventor-entrepreneur Dean Kamen.
The Segway HT was launched in the United States in 2001 in a huge flurry of hype and publicity. Even Time set aside seven pages of the weekly magazine to describe the ingenious self-balancing robotic device and its claims that it would be to the car what the car was to the horse and buggy.
The subject is once again topical, as the Segway has reached the Finnish market. It sounds great for sidewalks and pedestrian precincts, though Finland's winter snow and ice could pose a threat. But there is a more pressing problem than the weather: the Finnish Road Traffic Act does not recognise the wonder device.
According to Sgt. Pertti Mäkeläinen of the National Traffic Police, the Segway can only be driven on private property.
"There is no going on public roads covered by the Road Traffic Act."
And what happens if a Segway user defies this ban?
"Well, the response would be a caution or a charge. We have the means to intervene in this sort of thing", says Mäkeläinen.
The Segway HT's problem is that in this country motorised devices should be listed on the registers of the Finnish Vehicle Administration (AKE). The Segway cannot be legally registered, since it currently lacks EU type-approval, and getting such a thing is a tricky exercise.
"It would require tests and some adjustments to the equipment. For instance the Segway doesn't have lights right now", says Chief Inspector Sami Peuranen from AKE.
Peuranen admits freely that the Segway falls through the cracks of the Vehicles Act. The law would need to be amended in order to render the Segway fit for registration.
"As things stand, the device can only be used legally in a closed area."
Not surprisingly, the situation presents a headache for the Segway's importers, Group 24 H Oy.
"Yes, it is rather problematic and restricts sales", admits Kimmo Laine, head of development at Group 24 H.
The company also owns the City Car Club, which launched carsharing in this country some years ago (see the IntEd article from 2000). The Segway is also now on their list of vehicles for rent 24 hours a day. Laine stresses that customers - either buying or renting - are made fully aware of the legal problems surrounding the device at present.
So far, most of the Segways sold in Finland have gone to private individuals who have not flinched at the hefty price-tag. However, in the future the scooter is expected to be directed at the corporate market.
"Places where people have to walk long distances inside. For instance factory halls, large hospitals, or airport terminals", says Laine.
In other words, private areas where there are no legal restrictions on the use of the Segway, even in Finland.
It is perhaps worth noting that Finland could offer some highly suitable locations. Anyone who has been inside a paper mill will know that a modern paper machine is a LONG piece of machinery indeed. These days staff often use kick-scooters to get around.
Even if there are legal obstacles in the way in Finland, the Segway has become a familiar device elsewhere in the world, with police in several states of the U.S. using or testing them, and in Germany they are one means of transport for the postman, though some have claimed it is hard to sort mail while riding.
In Paris, guided tours on Segways have been a big hit since 2003, and closer to home in Stockholm a similar arrangement has been up and rolling since June last year. The Swedish Road Traffic Act doesn't know anything more about the Segway than do Finnish lawmakers, but thus far there has been no action from the Swedish police against users.
Helsingin Sanomat / Adapted from an article first published in print 6.8.2005
There it is. The invention that was expected to revolutionise the world of personal transport, like the automobile. An "electric personal assistive mobility device". A means of getting around on foot that replaces the legs. Huh? Say what?
It's the Segway® Human Transport of course, the motorised two-wheeled, self-balancing scooter that was developed by American inventor-entrepreneur Dean Kamen.
The Segway HT was launched in the United States in 2001 in a huge flurry of hype and publicity. Even Time set aside seven pages of the weekly magazine to describe the ingenious self-balancing robotic device and its claims that it would be to the car what the car was to the horse and buggy.
The subject is once again topical, as the Segway has reached the Finnish market. It sounds great for sidewalks and pedestrian precincts, though Finland's winter snow and ice could pose a threat. But there is a more pressing problem than the weather: the Finnish Road Traffic Act does not recognise the wonder device.
According to Sgt. Pertti Mäkeläinen of the National Traffic Police, the Segway can only be driven on private property.
"There is no going on public roads covered by the Road Traffic Act."
And what happens if a Segway user defies this ban?
"Well, the response would be a caution or a charge. We have the means to intervene in this sort of thing", says Mäkeläinen.
The Segway HT's problem is that in this country motorised devices should be listed on the registers of the Finnish Vehicle Administration (AKE). The Segway cannot be legally registered, since it currently lacks EU type-approval, and getting such a thing is a tricky exercise.
"It would require tests and some adjustments to the equipment. For instance the Segway doesn't have lights right now", says Chief Inspector Sami Peuranen from AKE.
Peuranen admits freely that the Segway falls through the cracks of the Vehicles Act. The law would need to be amended in order to render the Segway fit for registration.
"As things stand, the device can only be used legally in a closed area."
Not surprisingly, the situation presents a headache for the Segway's importers, Group 24 H Oy.
"Yes, it is rather problematic and restricts sales", admits Kimmo Laine, head of development at Group 24 H.
The company also owns the City Car Club, which launched carsharing in this country some years ago (see the IntEd article from 2000). The Segway is also now on their list of vehicles for rent 24 hours a day. Laine stresses that customers - either buying or renting - are made fully aware of the legal problems surrounding the device at present.
So far, most of the Segways sold in Finland have gone to private individuals who have not flinched at the hefty price-tag. However, in the future the scooter is expected to be directed at the corporate market.
"Places where people have to walk long distances inside. For instance factory halls, large hospitals, or airport terminals", says Laine.
In other words, private areas where there are no legal restrictions on the use of the Segway, even in Finland.
It is perhaps worth noting that Finland could offer some highly suitable locations. Anyone who has been inside a paper mill will know that a modern paper machine is a LONG piece of machinery indeed. These days staff often use kick-scooters to get around.
Even if there are legal obstacles in the way in Finland, the Segway has become a familiar device elsewhere in the world, with police in several states of the U.S. using or testing them, and in Germany they are one means of transport for the postman, though some have claimed it is hard to sort mail while riding.
In Paris, guided tours on Segways have been a big hit since 2003, and closer to home in Stockholm a similar arrangement has been up and rolling since June last year. The Swedish Road Traffic Act doesn't know anything more about the Segway than do Finnish lawmakers, but thus far there has been no action from the Swedish police against users.
Helsingin Sanomat / Adapted from an article first published in print 6.8.2005
PIETARI PEUTERE / Helsingin Sanomat
pietari.peutere@hs.fi