Q: How are they going to reduce accidents to zero when they don’t stop skateboarding period? There should be laws in place to stop people from riding skateboards either on the road or on sidewalks. I have been hit by somebody’s skateboard on the sidewalk while walking my dog, and my dog has been hit by skateboarders. Skate parks should by the only place you can ride a skateboard. It should be required by law that if a person wants to be skateboarding in the road then they need a driver’s license, license plates, registration, and insurance on the skateboard. Could that become a law?
A: Before we tackle the possibility of changing the laws about skateboards, let’s first review what the laws are now. Yes, I’m putting off dealing with the hard part, but it’s also good to start with what we know. According to Washington State law, a skateboarder is a pedestrian. It might not fit your (or the dictionary’s) definition, but our law includes, in addition to the normally understood meaning, any person who is using “a means of conveyance propelled by human power other than a bicycle.” Skateboards, kick scooters, roller blades, wheelchairs; using any of them qualifies you as a pedestrian.
Continue reading “Skateboards Are Not The Problem (We Are)”
