Before You Buy, Learn Proper Scooter Safety
Whether it's a teenager getting ready to embark on the roads for the first time with a scooter, or an adult thinking that a scooter is an economical alternative to driving a car, it is essential that learning scooter safety is something that's done before the scooter is even purchased.
Many people have a misconception that just because a scooter goes much slower than a traditional vehicle can, that's it is not as dangerous. Some places that don't have helmet laws lend a hand to this misconception. In reality riding a scooter is more deadly than using traditional transportation, because there isn't much to protect you from accidents and other hazards.
Top Safety Tips for Riding Scooters
Always Wear a Helmet-
Wearing a helmet every single time you ride a scooter is very important. Even if you plan on only going a half mile down the road, remember to where your helmet. It saves lives on a daily basis, but it can only save your life if you wear it.
Watch Your Speed-
Even though a scooter won't put you over about 35 miles per hour, it doesn't mean you have to use all the power of the bike. Watching your speed and making sure you're going slow enough to watch for hazardous things in the road is another important part of scooter safety.
Always Wear Shoes-
Living near the beach or in places wear no shoes or flip flops are something that's common to be worn frequently can be very hazardous when riding a scooter. This safety tip should help you to understand that bare feet, even in flip flops, can result in a hospital trip and maybe even the loss of an entire foot.
Don't Ride With Others-
Although the seat on a scooter may look big enough to fit more than one person, it isn't safe and should never be done. Taking scooter safety seriously means you always ride alone. If more than one person rides on a scooter at once, the stability and function of the bike is compromised. This can result in an accident even at places you roe a scooter through hundreds of times.
Learn Your Hand Signals-
Because you can ride a scooter in traffic, it's important to know your hand signals when stopping and making a turn. This can help make sure accidents don't happen and you aren't hit by a bigger, dangerous vehicle. For more information on proper hand signals to use in traffic, visit your local DMV and grab a driver's handbook as the information will be found inside along other scooter safety tips.
