How to Ride an Electric Scooter Safely

An electric scooter is meant for single use. It allows you to travel light distances conveniently. Beginners and people who are not used to riding a bike or a skateboard need guidance to properly ride an electric scooter.

People who are comfortable riding a bicycle or a skateboard adapt more quickly to an electric scooter. Visually, an electric scooter is a small and compact vehicle, but it has sound power output.

You must have the right balance and stability to ride an electric scooter carefully. This article mentions some of the essential tips for riding an electric scooter carefully.

Some Essential Tips Before You Start Riding An Electric Scooter

Become Familiar With The Scooter

The first and most essential tip is that you must be familiar with the electric scooter. If not all the functions, you must at least be familiar with the essential functions.

Being familiar with all the features and functions instills confidence in you. This confidence helps you to ride the scooter without any fear.

The cockpit is like the central control or command center of your electric scooter. It includes essential parts such as the throttle, handlebar, display, brake, gears, light controls, etc.

Try Out The Controls

As we all know, different parts are responsible for performing various functions in an electric scooter. So, it would be best if you tried out these controls before actually taking the scooter for a spin. One of the essential rules to try out is the throttle, which will help you gauge the scooter’s power output.

Wear Proper Safety Gear

Having the proper safety gear before riding an electric scooter is essential. This gear protects you from any serious and significant injuries.

The right electric scooter riding safety kit includes a helmet, knee pads, gloves, elbow pads, and grippy shoes. Every year there are several accidents involving an electric scooter.

Most of these crashes or accidents have repercussions such as injuries and fractures. You can remain protected and safe from these injuries by wearing the right safety gear.

Steps Explaining How To Ride An Electric Kick Scooter

Riding an electric scooter is very easy and intuitive, yet some people face difficulties. This problem majorly arises as the majority of people are unfamiliar with the functioning of an electric scooter. Driving an electric scooter is pretty much similar to riding a regular kickstart scooter.

Step 1

The first step is to place the scooter on a flat and smooth surface. Putting it on an irregular surface will cause you to lose your balance and fall. Beginners should only drive on flat surfaces until they gain the confidence and experience to move on rugged terrain.

Step 2

The second step is to remove or raise the kickstand. You must make sure that you have a good grip on the handlebar before removing the stand. After removing the stand, it will be free without any support. You can remove this stand with either of your feet.

Step 3

The third step requires you to have a kick scooter stance. In this stance, you need to keep your weak foot on the deck of the scooter. This soft foot should be facing forward, and your stronger foot should be on the ground.

Step 4

In this step, you need to push against the ground with your stronger foot. This will help you to give an initial boost. You can then keep your foot behind your weaker foot on the deck. This posture minimizes your size and increases your balance. You then have to lean forward while firmly holding onto the handlebar slightly.

Step 5
You can now start to twist the throttle to accelerate using electric power gradually. It would be best if you turned the throttle slowly, or else the scooter can instantly be out of your control. You can use your stronger leg to keep your balance while moving.

Step 6

Now, you are in motion, and you need to rotate the handlebars as required to give direction to the scooter. The movement of the handlebar should be slow and steady, just like the throttle. Making sharp turns without a lot of practice can be unsafe.

Step 7

The last step is to apply the brakes correctly. Just like the throttle and the handlebar, you should use these brakes slowly and gradually as well. Braking abruptly can cause you to lose balance and crash the scooter.

Frequently Asked Questions

How old do you have to be to ride an electric scooter?

For riding an electric scooter you need to be of minimum 14 years old in the US. The government reduced the previous age limit from 14 years to 16 years because the people are now aware of the benefits of riding an electric scooter.

Can you drive an electric scooter in the bike lane?

The precise answer to this question would be yes, and no. It depends on your location. For instance, some states such as Michigan do not allow electric scooters in the bike lane. You are only authorized to enter a bike lane if you are leaving or entering any adjacent property.

Some states, such as New York, allow you to ride an electric scooter in the bike lane. In New York, you cannot ride an electric scooter on the road, which has a bike lane. For roads that do not have a bike lane, you can only ride the scooter alongside the road’s curb.

Can you conveniently ride an electric scooter on gravel?

The design of an electric scooter is suitable for concrete and smooth roads. However, you can ride your electric scooter on any terrain and even on gravel roads if the scooter has rubber tires installed in it. But you need to wear all the protective gear while driving your electric scooter on gravel and dirt roads.