There is a big hype over electric scooters in recent years. They are light, convenient, and can quickly take you from one to another direction. The main advantage is when you live in a crowded city where driving a car or taking a bus will require much more time due to traffic jams. The market is quite big today as well. The developers are working on innovations all the time, and you can choose between a wide range of models with excellent features. The most important features are safety measures, speed, control, and battery. Also, a lot of people are looking for light and foldable models so they can go to work with them.
However, we can notice some issues related to e-scooters as well. Some of the biggest issues are related to the lack of regulations. You don’t need a driver’s license, and in many countries, it is not clear whether you can drive it on the road or over sidewalks. That leads to an increased number of accidents where drivers of e-scooters either hit pedestrians or gets involved in road accidents. A lot of countries are planning to introduce new regulations where they will limit the speed of e-scooters to be around 20 km per hour.
It can be really fun when you are driving electric scooters because they are easy to handle and very agile. However, the problem is that people get too relaxed while driving them, which increases the chance of getting into accidents. If you even participate in an accident while driving an e-scooter, it is important to learn more about your responsibility in that situation. You can learn more about that if you visit Sierra Legal Group.
As we already mentioned, it can be joyful to ride this two-wheeler and get around traffic jams easily. However, the most important thing is to focus on the read and pay attention to the safety of you and other people. Therefore, we have selected some of the most important things to know before you drive an e-scooter for the first time.
1. Safety Measures
The common problem is that most drivers today are not wearing any protective gear while driving these things. People consider it safe as a bicycle or even safer than that. However, we suggest you always wear at least a helmet when you start driving for the first time. Lack of experience and skills can easily lead to serious injuries if you fall while driving. Besides the helmet, wearing knee and elbow protectors is also a good idea.
2. Learn More About the Controls
It will require some time before you learn how to properly control your ride. Therefore, never rush into crowded streets from the first moment you get it. The best option is to practice on empty streets and in your backyard and learn to control it in the right way. You will feel the handles and brakes and be much safer after you start driving it on the streets.
3. Don’t Drive Too Fast
We are aware that it will be tempting to try out your scooter and test its abilities from the first moment you step on it. However, keep in mind that this is not a simple toy and that some models can reach a speed of over 50 km per hour. The best solution for beginners is to buy a model that cannot go so fast and always start with a slower tempo to gain control and skills before you can safely drive at a higher speed.
4. Learn Some Skills
As we already mentioned, it will require some time before you can be able to easily control the scooter and be more relaxed while driving. The most important is to develop some skills related to controlling and braking. Not paying attention to this can lead to accidents. For example, if you take a too sharp turn, the chances are great that you will fall. Also, learn how to use brakes properly. For instance, braking too intense while going at a higher speed might result in falling over the scooter or losing control.
5. Focus on the Road
The common problem is that people get this ride too easily, and they simply step on it and start driving in crowded areas. Be sure to focus on the road and each obstacle. It is very light, and you will feel each bump on the road. Also, driving over a rock or a pothole can lead to falling off from the scooter. Another reason to practice before stepping on crowded streets is related to your abilities to accelerate and brake properly. For example, a beginner might start panicking when there is a sudden obstacle on the road, and misuse the brake with accelerating, which can lead to an accident.
6. Avoid Driving On Bad Weather
It is challenging to control the scooter on wet roads, even for experienced drivers. Therefore, the best solution is to avoid driving it during rain. Getting a slightly sharper turn can lead to falling. The wheels are very small and they can easily lose control on wet roads.
7. Keep Your Ride Safe
Another thing that new drivers often forget is to keep their rides safe. For example, you are heading to the store with your new scooter, and you park it in the front and get into it before locking it. You can use the same cable people are using for bikes.
The Bottom Line
There are many benefits of riding an e-scooter. It is a convenient and fast way to travel around the town. Also, it is energy efficient and excellent for the environment. However, the problem in big cities is that the sidewalks became full of e-scooters with people who don’t pay too much attention to pedestrians and often drive too fast.
You should ride it on the bike path, and if there are no bike paths available in your area, you should check the current regulations and see where you can drive it. The most important is to always focus on the safety of you and the people around you.
