We want you to have a safe ride with your electric scooter. They are very convenient, fun, and fast to get around, but are also much more unsteady as compared to bicycles. The turning radius of an electric scooter is very small and rapid, and in some cases they are also quite sensitive to bumpy roads. We stand behind electric scooters, but there is always a point that should be underlined when it comes to safety.
To make sure that you are as safe as possible, here are some useful tips:1. Get familiar with your electric scooter, read the Manual!
Some of us are “I don’t need manuals” personalities. We were too, but to be totally honest, we learned things fast and easy or harder and more bumpy. If you are not getting help from your friends around to understand your electric scooter, think that the Manual is your new friend. It does not take much time to go through, but it really helps in getting the best experience out of your electric scooter. It has all the useful things such as LED screen display options, electric brake strength, auto cruise mode, hard or non hard start etc.
2. Protective gear
As earlier said, electric scooters are fast in speed and turns. You are driving in close proximity to the ground, and the wheels are relatively tiny in comparison to the speed. Head is the most fragile part in our body and has to be well protected. Wearing a helmet is also very stylish, there are many good quality helmets in the markets. Except for the material safety and design points, the look of the helmets has improved drastically over years. Earlier they used to look terrible, but now there are many that look really good and you can definitely find one that would suit your style. For off-road riders, we also recommend an elbow and a knee pads for protection and gloves for improving handlebar grip.
3. Check your scooter
Before you leave home, have a quick look at your electric scooter to check that everything is in order.
Tires: Are they well inflated? You want to reach back home safely and not in the middle of nowhere with a flat tire.
Brakes and throttle: brakes are at times your saving angel, of course your 360 degree scope and your extremely rapid reactions are the first one in charge.
Battery charge: Calculate the kilometers before your trip and know the charge level. You can figure out the driving style that you are allowed according to those facts. This skill builds with experience as you get more familiar and get along with your electric scooter.
Handlebar: Check that the folding part is steady and tight. If it isn't, tighten it. If you are not able to adjust the height of the handle bar, we are sorry to say that you have a scooter that you should not have bought in the first place.
Frame: Check that your scooter is fully unfolded and secured into the correct position to ride. It’s also worth carrying out a quick visual check to make sure there’s no damage or obvious wear and tear. Especially check the folding part, if it feels steady and tightens strongly. Folding part is the most important, or maybe should say the most central part in foldable electric scooters. If the folding part does not tighten and hold the pole 100%, tighten it before you take off for a ride. If you have an electric scooter with a folding part that does not allow adjustments, you can be sure that the shaking will get stronger and wider and the metal may give up someday. This makes the scooter extremely dangerous, as the front pole may snap any day.
4. Get some practice
Electric scooters are very easy to ride and you will learn them quite fast. Just step on them and you are on the go. The important thing is that you get familiar with your scooter or the scooter you are using. Try to observe how your scooter reacts on sharp turns or sudden stops, how fast you can really stop to hit a Zero, how are the tires on a sandy or wet surface, or how are they on turns when you are driving at high speeds.
Different tires come with different patterns. The rubber itself is different, softer has a better hold and vice versa. The principle is that good quality tyres are naturally more expensive, but they offer much more safety and assurance. Cheap tires usually use bad rubber with cheat out design and no care for your safety.
As time goes by, you will meet wet and sand with your scooter. Maybe in Dubai it takes a bit longer to meet wet conditions, but we think the message is clear. Be aware that your scooter behaves differently in different conditions and act accordingly.
5. Night riding
Scooter Visibility: Scooter safety in the dark should always be considered. You never know when you might be caught out so make sure your lights are always on and clearly visible to the other road users. This is also important in low light and poor weather conditions. While most electric scooters have or at least should have both front and back lights, they should also have brake lights that are truly visible. If you are doing a lot of riding in the darker hours, it may be worth adding some reflectors to your electric scooter so that you are more visible.
Rider Visibility: As well as making sure the scooter is visible, it is also a good idea to wear reflective clothing. Reflective jackets no longer have to be luminous yellow. You can find many creative solutions, just highlight yourself a bit more.
6. Road awareness
Potholes: Uneven surfaces and holes in the road are uncomfortable for cars too – they really should be avoided on an electric scooter!
Grates and manhole covers: Remember that your electric scooter has small tires, which makes riding over grates harder, and metal covers can be slippery – try to give yourself space to go around them.
7. Riding responsibly
Finally, ride sensibly and responsibly. Electric scooters are lots of fun and have a great safety record, but wheezing between traffic lanes, jumping red lights and generally not following the road rules will put you and other road users in danger.