CONGRATULATIONS, YOU JUST PURCHASED YOUR FIRST E-SCOOTER!
Have 5 to 10 practice rides before hitting big streets, ideally in a large empty lot.
Accidents are most likely to occur on your first ride or in your first 10 rides. Accidents are also likely to happen after 3-6 months of riding when one becomes comfortable riding and drops their guard while not maintaining awareness on rides, well after gaining a large amount of experience/time on e-scoots.
Get familiar with the sensitivity of your scooter’s acceleration and brakes, cruise control on/off if applicable .. practice handling and turns. Take time to do this again should you ever purchase a new e-scooter.
Stand towards the back of the scooter, leaning through turns with minimal pressure on the handlebars/stem.
RIDE “LIGHT”: practice your stance and riding “light” with bent knees/elbows, bringing your heels up off the deck with slightly bent knees when riding over small bumps to allow the bumps to “feel softer” as they pass under
PRACTICE emergency situations and braking.
EMERGENCY situations: During your initial practice rides, visualize a car/bike/pedestrian suddenly entering your path. Brake as if you were about to collide. Test it out - at what speed is it safe for you to bail off your scooter?
General BRAKING: do NOT hit the brakes hard off the bat. Get to know the sensitivity of the brakes on your scooter .. on some scooters, it’s necessary to tap the regenerative brake once before pressing fully to avoid being thrown off. With mechanical brakes, you need to gradually press on the brake. Either way, as you brake to stop, always MOVE YOUR HIPS DOWN AND BACK this will help you stop faster and more safely / avoid getting thrown over the handlebar.
Are you in a large city? Decide on which streets it is safe for you to TURN LEFT from the left-turning lane (on smaller one-laned streets with less traffic) and on which streets you’ll need to make a left turn using the “two-stage”/"Copenhagen left" method (on larger streets with 2+ lanes and more traffic, especially with 18-wheelers or buses)
TWO-STAGE/Copenhagen turn: ride through the intersection and stop at the crosswalk, step off your scooter and wait as a pedestrian (out of the street), once the light turns green (on the street you intend to turn onto) allow right-turning cars to pass and then ride ahead onto the street and through the intersection.
ALWAYS wear closed-toe shoes .. you might get in an emergency braking situation where you need your feet to help stop abruptly .. or bail (jump off) completely
ALWAYS keep two hands firmly on the handlebars, do NOT attempt to hand signal or adjust something on your "dashboard" while in motion. NO ONE-HANDED RIDING.
Obviously, no drunk driving or tandem riding .. ride solo and sober.
Don’t do dumb sh*t like stunts/wheelies, trying to ride on a freeway .. or trying to hang all your grocery bags off the scooter’s handlebars (multiple accidents reported due to bags spinning around stems).
Know your city’s laws.. many cities will issue you a citation for riding on the sidewalk.
If you do not feel safe on a street (construction, traffic, terrain, etc) JUMP OFF your scooter and walk it down the sidewalk until it is safe again.
Don’t go full speed unless you’re very familiar with the area/terrain and there are few potential obstacles (wet road, cars, bikes, pedestrians, potholes, asphalt lips, speed bumps, debris, sand, mud, gravel, leaves, manhole covers .. ).
A LOT of self-reported accidents are due to TERRAIN .. so be cautious.
Reduce your speed / “freeroll” (no acceleration) when next to parked cars or in an unfamiliar area with questionable terrain (potholes, debris, leaves, etc) .. or when glancing behind you to check traffic - if you do not have a mirror to check behind you.
BE VISIBLE, use your voice or bell/horn to alert others to your presence, especially for pedestrians and cars that are about to turn or enter traffic .. watch for drivers that are texting.
Be nice to pedestrians and cyclists, obey stoplights, and don’t give e-scooterists a bad name .. it’s been hard enough to get these things legalized, let’s keep it that way.
#GEAR
Helmet: certified downhill MTB full-face helmet highly recommended .. otherwise, a cycling helmet for lower speed scooters (15-20 mph) is fine. Full face is recommended because you are much more likely to land on your jaw when riding a scooter vs. a bike .. make sure it fits well (doesn’t slide) and allows you full peripheral vision.
Eye protection: clear safety glasses or sunglasses .. to protect against wind/sun/bugs.
HIGH VIZ/REFLECTIVE GEAR: a high visibility vest or belt(e.g., neon yellow or white).
Gloves and/or wrist guards: you’ll likely try to break a fall using your hands.
Closed-toe shoes .. that are tightly laced (someone once lost a shoe in a collision, injured their foot pretty badly).
OPTIONAL PROTECTION: knee & elbow pads or a motorcycle jacket/pants, motorcycle boots, chest and shoulder protectors (might want these if riding 35 mph+).
OPTIONAL BUT HELPFUL FOR YOUR SCOOTER: additional quality headlight, clip-on rear light (for backpack/clothing/helmet), a horn or bell, a mirror on the right side (UK riders), handlebar extender, air pump, tire gauge, valve extender, tires proactively filled with tire slime/sealant, “Fix a Flat,” a safety pin or anything else to ensure your scooter doesn’t fold while riding, reflective tape for your scooter/helmet, wrenches, multitool/allen wrenches, needle nose pliers, adequate lock & alarm, front pouch/bag for holding tools/gear/keys/wallet/phone etc.
"Should I get turn signals?": Based on the self-reported accidents on two accidents related to turn signaling seemed to be from TRYING to signal a turn vs not signaling. Being visible, reducing speed, and giving proper space to other vehicles/pedestrians might be more priority here, but if you're able to find a good solution for turn signaling that doesn't require one-handed riding then go for it. Making eye contact with drivers should be enough to gain drivers' attention and encourage them to wait for your motion or signal. If you do hand signal - it would be best to do this while stopped vs. still being in motion.
#PRE-FLIGHT CHECK - before every ride
Check your folding latch, is your scooter locked in the fully-open position? Use a safety pin/lock if your scooter came with one.
Do your tires have adequate pressure? Check tire pressurewith both hands or a gauge.
Are your tires in good condition, no foreign objects in the tread?
Are your brakes working well? Suspension?
Are all bolts tightened? Stem looks good?
Are your lights working? Bell/horn? .. lights should be high - on handlebars, helmet, or back.
What’s your battery level? Is your charging port cover closed?
What’s the condition outside? Cold/hot? Wet/dry? Dark/light? Low/high traffic? Wind?
What’s your mental state? Are you tired, stressed, or foggy?
Know your route ahead of time, think ahead about terrain/traffic/turns/known potholes !!
Check your helmet and other gear - are they in good condition and properly fitted?
Stand towards the back of the scooter (front foot near middle of deck) with a “skateboarder” stance or both feet slightly turned 30-45 degrees.
Ride “light” with a slight bend in your knees and elbows to create “natural suspension”.
Brake gradually before turns and accelerate THROUGH turns - PAST the 'apex' (see image below).
Do NOT brake DURING turns .. to avoid front tire slips and wipeouts.
LEAN from your FEET, don’t use the handlebars too heavily.
Reduce your speed and STRAIGHTEN YOUR FRONT WHEEL over suspicious terrain (oil/wet/wood planks/steel/leaves/bumps/cobblestones).
Use/practice “freerolling” (riding without acceleration) and countersteering maneuvers.
When braking, drop your hips BACK AND DOWN .. pull bars up, hop, or bail if needed to avoid a curb.
#DEFENSIVE SCOOTERING TIPS
Give yourself ample time to get to your destination so you’re not in a rush.
Get into the habit of always performing a pre-flight check(see #2 above).
Choose your roads/terrain wisely (plan ahead) .. always check 10ft / 100ft / 10ft ahead for upcoming changes in terrain or potential obstacles when riding .. check left / right / left at turns .. occasionally check for vehicles behind you, “freeroll” as you do this - take your finger off the acceleration, only check behind you if you're certain there are no potholes ahead.
Anticipate others’ actions (predict 10 seconds ahead) and assume all drivers are idiots and all pedestrians aren't paying attention: expect all cars to pull out on you or hit you .. allow aggressive drivers/cyclists, pedestrians - depending on the situation, to pass or cross in front of you.
Just like defensive driving - maintain SPACE from other vehicles/pedestrians/objects .. enough space so that you'd have enough time to brake and stop to avoid a collision.
Wear high-visibility / reflective wear or light-colored clothing that’s easily seen by motorists from all angles.
Maintain AWARENESS: call out your surroundings to yourself in your mind (“potholes,” “parked cars,” “speed bumps,” “pedestrians,” “debris,” “leaves” ..) and regularly analyze situations in front of you. Reduce your speed when unsure and proceed with caution.
Maintain CONTROL: reduce speed when uncertain of terrain, give space to pedestrians/bikes/cars, always use TWO hands on the handlebars.
Always cover your brakes - keep your hands ready to engage your brakes .. regularly take a minute or two to practice emergency braking so it becomes second nature - remember HIPS BACK AND DOWN.
Gradually brake and reduce speed before turns. Be especially careful with blind curves - reduce speed and proceed with caution.
Always check parked cars for passengers and opening doors - both driver & passenger sides .. reduce your speed and before you move away from a parked car, check your surroundings to ensure that no one else is behind you (cars/bikes).
Proactively make others aware of your presence using your bell/horn/voice .. especially cars that are parked but may enter traffic (their wheels are turned), cars waiting to turn, nearby/crossing pedestrians or bikers that you’re passing (say “excuse me” or “on your left/right”) .. check turning drivers to see if they’re texting - get their attention.
Assume cars in front of you do not see you and will turn into your path .. wait & allow them to turn/pass, DON'T try to power through and overtake them.
Avoid riding in wet and dark conditions if possible .. if you do this, have proper gear (QUALITY LIGHTS/HIGH VIZ GEAR) and REDUCE SPEED - keep high alert of the terrain, avoid high traffic areas and difficult turns .. for those who are taller, watch your head. Maybe even get a headlamp to see upcoming branches/signs.
Don’t trust cyclists - they may run stop signs, slow down or stop suddenly. If they’re riding like assholes either safely pull over and wait a bit for them to pass OR overtake them, but only if there is a lot of space available to do so .. make them aware of your presence (voice/bell/horn) if you overtake them.
Let buses and 18-wheelers, aggressive drivers pass you .. if it’s a high traffic time, pull over and allow traffic to pass. If there’s a LOT of traffic then walk your scooter on the sidewalk and possibly find another street with less traffic.
If you do not feel safe (construction, traffic, terrain, weather, a double parked in the middle of a busy street, etc) JUMP OFFyour scooter and walk it on the sidewalk until it is safe again .. if a puddle, curb or lip in the road looks iffy, there's nothing silly about jumping off and walking the scooter over/around it, if it's possible with traffic.
Inspect your tires regularly: sufficient pressure, good tread condition, no foreign objects
Ride sensibly: avoid wet conditions, ride with a RESPONSIVE posture (ride “light”)
#GENERAL TIPS
Learn basic maintenance: tyre care/inflation, brake adjustments, tightening bolts.
Get a phone holder for your handlebars if you insist on checking/using your phone while riding .. do NOT use earbuds. Carry a portable speaker in a front frame pouch OR use bone conduction headphones ( if you really need music/GPS directions at all).
Make sure your scooter has at least one of the following: pneumatic tyres or suspension .. if you do not have one of these, avoid rough terrain and NO riding at night or in wet conditions.
Mind your head if you’re tall .. hitting one’s head on branches/signs is quite common.
Don’t jump your scooter off of curbs .. that’s a good way to get a pinch puncture or wipe out. Walk your scooter off the curb one wheel at a time.
Don’t charge your battery overnight without supervision.
If you've charged your battery fully, be careful with using your regenerative brake while riding downhill .. many scooters have been bricked this way.
If you ride for long enough (2,000+ miles), you WILL have an accident of some kind at some point .. do what you can to reduce the frequency and severity of these by following the tips above and riding smart - wear a f*cking helmet, perform pre-flight checks, constantly watch the terrain/traffic, always have both hands on the handlebars, and regularly practice emergency stops!
