The Ultimate Guide to Electric Scooter Safety

Also, knowing hand signaling conventions, and what you can do without losing control of the scooter, is a great way to share the road with others. 

If you don't feel comfortable removing your hands from the handlebars, you can flap an elbow or poke your foot out in the direction that you need to go. This keeps your hands securely on the handlebars, and you really need both hands to steer and hold the scooter's front wheel straight.

Planning also means paying attention, moment to moment. If you're riding behind a pedestrian on a bike path, it's a good idea to slow down and ring a bell to let them know you want to pass. 

Make sure they acknowledge you before proceeding, as you don't want to run into someone that's got earbuds in and didn't see or hear you coming.

Although it might seem fun, frugal or convenient, riding two or more to a scooter is always a bad idea. 

In general, electric scooters aren't built for more than one rider. Balancing, sharing the handlebars and starting/stopping are going to be more challenging when two people are riding one scooter — especially if it's a shared scooter which has a limited weight capacity and braking ability. 

Again, not recommended, but if you decide to ride tandem, take the proper precautions (helmets for all) and don't go at excessive speeds.

Alternatively, you could purchase a seated scooter, some of which are better built for multiple riders, get a trailer to tow pets or kids behind you… or get two full-grown scooters for two full-grown adults. 

According to a study by UCLA, the majority of scooter-related accidents that were observed happened between 3 PM and 11 PM, which also happens to be the time people like to hit the bars and get a drink.

Riding an electric scooter while intoxicated is as dangerous as getting behind the wheel of a car, except you're not enclosed in a literal ton of metal.

Although it may seem like a convenient way to go bar hopping in large cities where shared scooters scatter the streets, it's not a good idea. 

By impaired, we're talking about anything that would distract your mind and limit your ability. For example, if you're overly tired or emotional. 

If you're mentally checked out, it's a good idea to grab a rideshare or walk rather than hop on your scooter.

Roughly 96% of the people in the UCLA study that were injured while riding a scooter were not wearing a helmet. 

Oftentimes this just has to do with convenience. If it's not included with the scooter that you're renting, you're not going to go buy one just to ride it. However, not wearing a helmet can have severe consequences in the event of an accident. 

If you rent scooters often enough, you could purchase a foldable helmet for portable protection (that you know is sanitary) or try to rent scooters that come with helmets. 

Some scooter sharing companies have rebate programs for safety gear or provide helmets. For example, Spin offers free and discounted helmets to its members, and Tier provides a helmet with their rentals. 

If you own a scooter, you should own a helmet because it's "not if but when" an accident will happen.

Although we generally don't recommend leaving your electric scooter unattended outside, locked to a pole or not, here are some tips for making sure it's as safe as possible.

To secure your scooter when out in public, we recommend using a very high quality U-lock. 

They are expensive (around $110), heavy duty and cannot be cut like chains or cable locks. The Gotrax G4 has a built-in combo cable lock which is an awesome feature, but won't stop someone with good wire cutters from snatching it.

Slip the U-lock through a secure locking and permanent point that can’t be easily removed with tools. Some examples are through/around the frame, a permanent carrying handle or the folding mechanism. 

Lock your scooter to a bike rack or nearby pole when needed but, in general, store your electric scooter indoors.

Disc brake locks, which lock the wheel to keep the scooter from being rolled away, are ineffective if you can lift the scooter into a vehicle. They might work for scooters in excess of [esg_unit 100 lbs], but are not generally effective. 

There are also electronic theft deterrents, like keystart ignitions, immobilizer alarms and NFC card readers. Some scooters also have locking features that are controlled through Bluetooth-enabled apps.

Without bypassing these electronic locks, you cannot power on the scooter, and some will make very loud, annoying noises when moved. With immobilizers, you will feel resistance when trying to push the scooter, or may not be able to turn the wheels at all. 

However, most electronic components in the cockpit are attached via plug-and-play cables, so a savvy thief could carry your noisy scooter away, disconnect those parts and carry on. Scooters with built-in displays may be more difficult to bypass. Keep in mind that using an electronic lock works when the vehicle being locked can't be carried away, and most electric scooters can be.

Another often unmentioned downside is that these electronic theft deterrents wear down the battery over time, and can even drain your battery into disrepair when the scooter's in storage.

For example, our Qiewa QPower came pre-installed with an alarm system and remote key fobs. As we have lots of scooters in rotation, we hadn't charged it in a few months and the alarm system killed the battery.

Now that you know what safety gear you should use and have some tips for how to avoid accidents, here's some real-world research on electric scooter safety to back-up our suggestions.

Electric scooters are safe to ride, if you know what to check before riding to avoid an accident (and wear a helmet). It also helps if you're familiar with riding before jumping on a shared scooter, which is the focus of most accident-related studies. 

In a study by Consumer Reports, the most common accidents happen with inexperienced riders that are not wearing helmets, accounting for 33% of head injuries. Of those surveyed, 83% of falls were not caused by a collision. 

In other words, user error caused the vast majority of injuries. User error can include hitting a pothole, accidentally throttling or braking and losing control, and slipping over a wet pile of leaves — most of which can be avoided with experience. 

Think of it this way: when you learned to ride a bike, it took more than just jumping on it and pedaling away. You had to get familiar with how to balance, push off, brake, and accelerate, and someone always told you to wear a helmet. 

With electric scooters, many riders think of it more like a skateboard or a kick scooter, and are not prepared for the immediate torque and balance required on narrow [esg_unit 10 in] scooter tires, which are about a third the circumference of bike tires. 

Here's five surprising reasons why you're more likely to get hurt riding a scooter than a bicycle.