Scooter Safety 

   
Being 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. There seems to be 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

   
  
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!

  
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.

    
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.

  
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. 

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.