Scooter Street’s Official E-Scooter Safety Tips

Published August 9, 2022

When thinking about buying an electric scooter, the first thing that crosses your mind after the initial excitement is usually, “Will I be safe?”. The answer is yes, as long as you yourself are using it correctly with all precautions in place.

They wouldn’t sell something intended to cause damage or inflict pain on people, so it is mostly down to how you use it! When electric scooters become legal across England, it’s likely that more and more people will be riding them, so how do you stay safe yourself, and around others? Here is Scooter Street’s Official E-Scooter Safety Tips for you.

1. Be Aware

The first thing I would say, that is one of the most important is, be aware. You must be aware and observant about others around you – just like driving! You wouldn’t pull out of a side road without ensuring you know nothing is coming and it’s safe for you to do so. Although a scooter is different to a car, it still requires the same amount of perception and awareness.

You should always know what is going on around you and realise that not every other road user is going to be using their vehicle safely.

Not only should you be on the lookout for the other vehicles but the road as well. Look for potholes in the ground or some uneven, bumpy roads. Be cautious with how you take it.

2. Check Tyres

Before going out on a journey on your scooter, checking that the tyre doesn’t feel squashy is crucial. To check this, simply get your thumb and forefinger and if it does feel squashy and not firm, it is underinflated. DO NOT ride the scooter until the tyres are pumped back up, and/or replaced (if there was a slash or hole in the tyre).

If you ride the electric scooter before having fully pumped tyres, the scooter is likely to skid and will not be stable when riding.

3. Helmet

You may think that you can get away with not wearing a helmet, but wearing one when riding an electric scooter just makes sense. If you fall off your scooter, or get knocked, your head will be protected!

4. Checking The Bolts

The bolts on the stem can get loose the more you use the electric scooter. Checking that they are continuously tightened weekly/fortnightly is a good way to ensure the handlebars stay in place. If you ride with loose bolts one of two things will happen, the bolts will fall out and the handlebar will fall off, or the handlebar will come out of alignment with the wheels.

To check the bolts are properly secure and tightened, simply position your body in front of the scooter with your feet holding the front wheel as tightly as possible. After this you want to hold onto the handlebars and twist in either direction firmly. If the wheels and the handlebars are still in alignment with each other then you can safely ride your electric scooter.

5. Passengers

Not only will it be illegal to hold a passenger on your scooter when full legalisation comes into place, but it’s also a huge safety hazard. They are specifically designed to hold one person, and one person’s weight. Having an added person in front or behind you will change the intended balance and you could both fall off.

6. Weather Check

Make sure you know what the weather is like before setting off on a journey. You should always prepare for the rain. When riding an electric scooter in the rain, the stopping distance increases. This could mean more battery consumption, hence meaning you’d need to have a fully charged battery (or near enough depending on the journey length and scooter).

7. Locking Your Scooter

Say for example you want to go into the shop, or you are given a reason to need to lock your scooter, locking it properly is important! We have a complete range of locks for your scooter here. You do not want someone to steal your scooter, for plenty of reasons I’m sure you can think of. Keeping your e-scooter secure, and safe is the safest option for you yourself as the rider, as well as not losing the scooter.

8. Speeds

You should always follow the speed guidelines for riding an electric scooter. They are put in place for a reason which is to keep you safe. You shouldn’t alter your scooter in anyway to make it faster – again, they are created that way for your safety!

I hope Scooter Street’s Official E-Scooter Safety Tips helped to guide you a little bit when thinking about road safety. Stay safe!