Washington State Lawmakers Consider Regulating Use of Segway Motorized Scooter

The News Tribune a Washington State newspaper reported this story on pending legislation of sweet Ginger. at

"It's not a scooter. It's not a bicycle. It's not a wheelchair. And it certainly isn't a car. It's the Segway Human Transporter, also known as "Ginger," a motorized device its inventor says will revolutionize the way people get around in the future.

It's also so new that state legislators aren't sure whether it belongs on a street or a sidewalk -- or both.

Sen. Jim Kastama (D-Puyallup), a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, said he wants the Segway device to be treated like a person.

"Any place a person goes, I want them to be able to bring a Segway -- shopping malls, restaurants -- wherever a pedestrian can go," Kastama said.

The device, code-named "Ginger" before it made its much publicized debut last month on "Good Morning America," uses five gyroscopes and computer sensors to maintain balance during operation. The rider simply leans forward or backward to move in those directions, and twists a hand-grip to turn left or right.

The version that will be marketed to consumers later this year -- for $3,000 to $3,500 apiece -- can travel up to 12.5 mph, weighs 60 pounds and can travel 17 miles on a single charge. The battery can be recharged by plugging into a standard electrical wall socket.

Segway's lobbyists put on a demonstration Monday so House and Senate members who may be voting to regulate the device will know more about it. A company spokesman said he would prefer the least amount of regulation, but he also realizes the device defies classification under current law.

"We found ourselves falling under a gray area as far as state statutes," said Matt Dailida, governmental affairs director for Segway, which is based in New Hampshire.

Senate Bill 6313, sponsored by Kastama, would give the device wide latitude. The Segway would be defined as "an electric personal assistive mobility device." As such, it would be banned from freeways and highways, but would be allowed on sidewalks, bicycle paths and city streets and county roads where the speed limit is 25 mph or less.

It would not have to be licensed as a vehicle. An operator would not need a driver's license. It could be used by people of all ages.

And except for prohibiting its use on streets with speed limits higher than 25 mph, local governments could not impose additional regulations.

That worries some state and local officials.

Steve Lind, deputy director of the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, said he is concerned about how the Segway would co-exist with other vehicles or pedestrians.

If it is allowed on roadways, it would be traveling at 12.5 mph while other vehicles travel at 25 mph.

"That's not always a good thing," Lind said.

On the other hand, he said, if it is allowed on sidewalks, the device could be traveling much faster than the 3-4 mph pace of a pedestrian. SB 6313 also makes no provision about whether the device would be equipped with lights for nighttime use, he said.

Ashley Probart, an analyst for the Association of Washington Cities, said Kastama's bill gives the Segway device so much leeway that cities couldn't set a speed limit for the devices or require they be separate from pedestrians.

Washington is among the first states Segway is visiting.

Segway already sells a commercial model of its Human Transporter, which is 20 pounds heavier and costs between $8,000 and $9,000. The U.S. Postal Service is trying them. So is the National Park Service.

And Amazon.com is planning to use them in its warehouses, Dailida said.

The device also was a hit among many of the legislators, who said they would find it useful on the campaign trail, which takes them door-to-door to the homes of voters.

"But you gotta put a few more bells and whistles on it for the Bellevue community," quipped Rep. Luke Esser (R-Bellevue)."