7 Electric Scooter Safety Tips to Avoid Crashes & Injuries
7 Electric Scooter Safety Tips to Avoid Crashes & Injuries
Electric scooters are on the rise, and we soon began to see how it has the potential to reshape urban transportation as we know it. Not only is it convenient, but it can also reduce traffic congestion. Accordingly, you should know electric scooter safety tips.
Despite all the potential, riding electric scooter is not all fun and games. In fact, during the four-year period (2014-2018), 39.113 people were injured in the United States alone. To make matters worse, during this period, the number of hospitalizations related to electric scooters increased by 365% (from 313 to 1,374).
It’s time to improve this sad development. According to another study on injuries related to the use of electric scooters, more than 80.2% were caused by falls. It is fair to assume that in most cases, the driver is at fault. There will always be external resources (such as cars and other vehicles) that you can’t control, but optimizing what you can do can go a long way.
Electric scooter safety tips facebook poll
We contacted more than 2,000 e-scooter riders on Facebook to find out what their favorite safety measures/rules are when riding. We got a lot of interesting answers, so let’s take a look at X’s best electric scooter safety tips to avoid collisions and injuries.
1. Always pay attention to the road
This hint seems obvious, but it has received the most votes so far for a reason. If you are used to riding a bicycle, you will know that it is not an uncommon habit to appreciate the scenery and observe everything around you-in fact, this applies to everything, because we humans are naturally curious.
Girl using a motorcycle helmet to ride an electric scooter
This is a very bad habit that can be incorporated into your electric scooter ride. You are riding on small wheels, and unless you use a high-end electric scooter, your suspension will be limited. For the same reason, a hole in the asphalt or a bump on the road can effectively wipe you off, and it is very difficult to restore balance on an electric scooter.
Not to mention, since most people ride in urban areas and other road users are not yet used to electric scooters on the street, it is particularly important to observe the traffic situation and think a few seconds in advance at any time.
It seems self-evident, but it is vital to focus on the road and the surrounding traffic. If you respect your speed, even if it looks relaxed and comfortable, you can avoid a lot of damage.
2. Put your hands on the handlebars
Oh, maybe there is a new message on my phone. It’s better to check it quickly and reply… No no no! When riders are overconfident in their electric scooters, they may think that as long as one of their hands is on the throttle, they can easily browse the phone or do other things with one hand.
This is a big mistake. This is something I learned hard myself. I wanted to let my friend know that I was on the way to his house through text messages. Instead of stopping, I slowed down and took out my phone. Two seconds later, I found myself lying on the ground, scratching my right arm and leg, and the phone screen was broken.
Woman riding an electric scooter in the park
Due to the small contact spots on the road, single-arm riding on electric scooters is particularly dangerous. Compared with a bicycle, the wheels you ride are much smaller, which also means that you have less ground clearance when cornering, and will transmit bumps and bumps to the rider more significantly.
When we ride, we will constantly make small adjustments with both hands to balance our balance. When we take one (or two) hands out of the equation, we only have one hand to adjust. Of course, if the electric scooter starts to tilt in the opposite direction, it will be very difficult.
If you absolutely must use the phone, please do yourself and your elbows a favor: stop the scooter for a second, and continue working when you are ready.
3. Use a suitable helmet
On the road, there are always things beyond your control. Driver negligence and human error always exist. Not all accidents are preventable, so how you prepare for an accident is crucial.
Safety gear guys. This may be the difference between life and death or life in a wheelchair. In all safety equipment, wearing a suitable helmet is the most important. do not trust me? We have made an infographic about the danger and nature of the following electric scooter accidents, which will almost certainly change your mind.
Dangers of electric scooters-graph of injury statistics of electric scooters
The above statistics are based on the most authoritative and in-depth research on damage of electric scooters so far. As you can see, most injuries (40.2%) occurred in the head. Despite this, only 4.8% of injured subjects wore helmets, which is extremely low compared to similar studies conducted on cyclists, with 25.1% of subjects wearing helmets.
See how the use of helmets can help cyclists, just wearing a helmet can greatly reduce head injuries and their severity. That’s because only bicycle helmets are used!
As far as helmet selection is concerned, you need at least one bicycle helmet-we strongly recommend that you choose a better helmet. If you are riding on a fast electric scooter, you should definitely get a full-face helmet, which can protect your chin/chin, not just your head. Mountain bikes or motorcycle helmets can solve this problem well.
Make sure to look for something that is truly certified and thoroughly tested, and always replace your helmet after a severe impact.
4. Slow down before turning back or turning around
One of the scenes where quite a few accidents occur is when people look back. This is usually done when you have to check for any vehicles behind you before turning.
The problem here is that you can easily lose your balance because your focus is changing and your weight is changing. When your body loses balance and you look back, all the small balance adjustments you make while riding are almost impossible.
In order to minimize the risk of reviewing, please always slow down. It will be much easier to keep the balance of the electric scooter, and if you end up falling, the impact on the ground may not be so severe. If you turn your head to cross the road, I suggest you stop completely and take a posture, because a speeding car close to you can also effectively make you lose your balance.
5. Check your scooter regularly
Like any other motor vehicle, electric scooters need maintenance from time to time because riding will wear them out. Although your scooter is plug-and-play out of the box, it still needs someone to take care of it in order to function properly.
Therefore, it is important to check regularly and understand your scooter before riding.
Check before each ride
Personally, I go through a list of candidates before each ride, and I suggest you do the same:
Check whether the tire pressure is sufficient
Check whether the folding mechanism is firmly in place
Check if your brakes are working properly
Check once a week or every two weeks
It is strongly recommended to conduct a more in-depth inspection every week or every two weeks, which may include:
Check whether the bolts or screws are loose
Check if your brake disc is bent
Ensuring that your scooter is always in the best settings is very important for the safety of the rider. After you get the scooter, you should make sure to read the manual carefully and familiarize yourself with how it is manufactured. You don’t have to be a comprehensive mechanic to understand the basics and know that the technical aspects of your electric scooter safety meet the standard, it will definitely give you some inspiration.
6. Equipped with suitable lights
One thing that many electric scooters lack is proper lightning. This is essential for visibility in low-light environments. If you go out at night, you not only want to be able to see the road ahead, but also hope that others can see you.
Most headlights on electric scooters simply don’t have enough power to properly illuminate the path in front of you, so we strongly recommend that you buy an exterior light with more lumens and install it on your handlebars.
hint
Tilt the headlights down slightly to avoid dazzling oncoming vehicles and to ensure the safety of everyone.
Taillights don’t have to be as bright as headlights, because they don’t actually need to light up anything—they are just to clearly show your location. Normally, the lights on your electric scooter are bright enough, but there may be problems in low positions close to the ground.
You may want to consider buying some items that can be hung on a backpack or shirt.
7. Protect your eyes
You may be thinking: if I have a helmet, why do I need goggles? Well, if the helmet you get does not have any type of sun visor, it is a good idea to buy one separately.
One of the most annoying things when riding at fairly high speeds is that bugs will get into your face-sometimes into your eyes. This is not only very irritating, but also potentially dangerous.
It will divert your attention from the road. Usually, you will scratch your eyes with one hand to try to get rid of bugs that may be stuck behind your eyelids. However, this directly contradicts one of the previous safety tips (always put your hands on the handlebars).
A pair of riding sunglasses can not only protect you from annoying flies and bugs, but also protect your eyesight from the harsh summer sun.
If you don’t want to get a dedicated pair, take out a pair of cheap sunglasses and you will at least get some protection. And you want to learn more knowledge about avoid electric scooter crashes and injuries, you can see the article:
8 simple tips to prevent electric scooter injuries
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