Scooter Safety
A
speedy form of transportation, the resurgence of electric scooters
has allowed us to zip around towns and cities without even so much
as a puff of harmful, polluting emmissions! And let's not forget how
much fun they are!!
Unfortunately, there is a
downside. Since the last rush of scooter sales, we have seen an
alarmingly high number of scooter-related injuries popping up in
emergency rooms around the world. The vast majority of these
electric scooter accidents involve those under the age of 15. And
worst of all, with a little attention paid to basic scooter safety,
the vast majority of those mishaps could, and would have been
prevented.
The fact is, scooters are
like any other piece of sporting or transport equipment; they can be
used safely when some simple precautions and rules are followed.
Here are a few guidelines for scooter safety that everyone should
observe:
Scooter Safety Tips
1. ALWAYS use a HELMET, knee pads, and elbow
pads.
This is very small investment - only about $35 - and can
instantly eliminate almost two-thirds of possible scooter accidents,
including most of the most serious ones. In many states, provinces
and regions throughout the world, these are required by
law!
2. Small children
should always be supervised when using scooters.
Almost a third
of all scooter-related injuries and accidents involve children under
the age of eight. As everyone knows, electric scooters are capable
of traveling very quickly, and children of that age do not always
have the judgment or coordination to handle these high
speeds.
3. Use scooters
in a safe places.
Cars and scooters don't mix, especially for
younger riders. Smooth, paved surfaces are best - avoid bumpy,
uneven, wet or rocky ones. Schoolyards, parks, paved trails are
examples of safe places to "scoot"! And, on sidewalks, be especially
careful for pedestrians, who always have the right of
way.
4. Always
observe the basic rules of the road anywhere you use
scooters.
As scooters can travel as fast as
many other types of vehicles, motorized and non-motorized, they too
must observe the rules of the road. These include:
• Stop at every stop
sign.
• Look left, right, and left
again before proceeding.
• Stop at the end of the
driveway.
• Look left, right, and left
before entering the street.
• Use proper hand
signals.
• Obey traffic signs and
signals.
5. Don't ride your scooter at
night.
When it is dark out, there
are just too many things that can easily upset your balance and
cause you to fall. Therefore, no one should ride scooters at
night.
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