Electric scooters have to be one of the coolest inventions of this century. They are fun to ride and doesn’t need superior driving skills. Also, the adrenaline rush you get from the sound of wind whizzing past your ears is an awesome feeling. These motorized vehicles have become an instant hit among pre-teens and teens in the last few years.
However, like everything else, there’s a dark side of riding e-scooters too. If you are not careful enough, it can quickly escalate to a nightmare situation. Controlling an e-scooter on road requires some skill. However, as long as your kids follow the driving rules and wear appropriate protective gear, there’s nothing to be afraid of.
In this article, I will share the 9 electric scooter safety rules every kid (as well as adults) should follow.
9 Tips on How to Ride an Electric Scooter Safely
Here are the 9 safety rules that will protect your kid from injuring himself while enjoying a fun ride:
1.Wear Protective Gears:
Everyone should wear a helmet while riding an electric scooter. This can’t be just any helmet. Buy a full-face helmet that fits snugly. Otherwise, it could be flung away during a collision, increasing the risk of head injury.
The helmet should also have a proper venting system so that the ride remains comfortable and sweat-free. It should also feature a tip or visor to protect the eyes from sun rays.
For kids, I would also strongly recommend wearing shoulder straps, elbow and knee pads.
Also, make sure that the child is wearing colors that are easily visible from a distance, especially during the night. If the colors blend with the surrounding, the risk of getting hit by another vehicle heightens. Don’t let him hang his schoolbag on the handlebar as it can throw off the balance. The bag should be on his shoulder.
2.Double Check Everything
Before powering up the scooter, make sure to check the brakes, tires, battery and overall functionality. Teach your kid to do that on his own.
If there’s an operational problem, get it fixed before riding the scooter. Riding a faulty electric scooter increases the risk of accidents exponentially. Also, the vehicle should be cleaned on a weekly basis. Otherwise, the dirt and dust particles could damage the motor.
3.Solo Riding Only
Most electric scooters for kids are designed for solo riding only. They have a set weight limit. Tagging along a passenger means exceeding the set weight limit.
When you increase the speed, it will be difficult to maintain the balance. Even riding at the lowest speed with extra weight can be dangerous.
4.Stay Focused and Alert
Teach your kid the importance of solely focusing on the road and the surroundings while riding. His eyes and ears should always be on high alert.
Don’t let him be distracted by loud music via earbuds or smartphone while navigating the scooter through crowded lanes. Be mindful of the traffic signals, oncoming vehicles and of course, the pedestrians.
5.Know the Road Condition
Road imperfections like potholes, speed bumps, crevices are one of the top reasons for road accidents.
Slipper roads, puddles, and wet surfaces could be just as dangerous. It is much harder to balance the scooter and navigate the wheels through puddles and wet surfaces.
Your kids should be trained to gradually slow down the speed when approaching the bumper, pothole or puddle. If the roads are full of debris, he could get down and push the scooter manually until the roads are clean.
6.Say No to Stunts
For a kid or teen, rocking a two-wheeler on road is a whole new experience. There will inevitably be an urge to perform cool stunts or off-roading. Sometimes, they might try to perform bike tricks due to peer pressure.
Electric scooters are meant for stunts. They are primarily designed for a solo rider and normal riding only. Doing stunts with it will either land him up in jail or break a few bones in his body for sure.
7.Be Gentle with the Brakes
Electric scooter breaks are extremely sensitive. Hitting the brakes while moving at high speed can throw the rider off the scooter, causing severe upper body injury.
Front brakes are generally more sensitive than the rear brakes. Your kids should always push the rear brakes to keep the vehicle steady.
8.Attachments are Painful
Electric scooters are not designed to be towed by another vehicle. Do not attach the electric scooter to a car, bike or any other high-speed vehicle. Being dragged by a powerful automobile could potentially throw the e-scooter off the balance, resulting in a nasty accident.
9.Let the Strom Pass
Riding a scooter through a lightning storm could lead to unimaginable fatalities. Lightning strikes are dangerous enough to even kill the rider. When the storm hits, your child should decrease the speed as quickly as possible and look for a shelter.
Final Thoughts
It could be difficult in the beginner to make a kid follow so many rules. My child constantly refused to wear a helmet during his first few trysts with the scooter. But he learned its importance with time as soon as we gave him the full control of the vehicle.
We trained our kid as much as we could and then trusted him completely. Children are smarter than we give them credit for, you know? If you treat them like adults and explain the importance of safety, they do listen.
