You may be the best scooter rider you know but that doesn’t mean you’ll stay safe throughout your scooter-riding years. The majority of the time accidents that involve scooters are the fault of car drivers and other road users who forget to look for scooters, mopeds and similar two-wheeled machines.
This means that you, as a scooter rider, need to do whatever you can to make yourself seen and keep yourself protected. Below are a few suggestions that will help you to be seen and stay safe, just in case you’ve forgotten them.
Be as highly visible as possible
It may not do a lot for your ‘street cred’ but a fluorescent jacket or vest can be the difference between being seen and being knocked off your bike. Scooter riders often go unnoticed by car drivers so the more you can stand out from the rest of the traffic the better.
Riding during the day is equally as dangerous as riding at night, and probably even more so when you factor in stressed drivers with errands to run and those with warring kids in the car.
You should, therefore, wear highly-visible clothing whenever you get on your bike – even if you’re just going to the local shops, and if you can find a brightly coloured helmet then so much the better.
Be as protected as possible
Your first line of defence with regards to scooter accidents will most definitely be your helmet. Make sure you choose a good, solid helmet that has the necessary safety standard marks clearly visible. If you can, you should also buy a helmet that has been professionally fitted so that you know it isn’t too big or too small.
Don’t buy inferior brands to save a few pounds otherwise you might not be around to spend the money you save.
With regards to clothing, there is no law to say you have to wear something that offers good protection. If you like to keep your skin attached to your body though then it is advisable to invest in leathers, or alternatively something made of Kevlar which is more suitable for scooter riders.
Both of these clothing choices will keep you firmly in one piece should you come off your bike, but if you don’t want to spend quite so much then a thick pair of trousers, a jacket and a pair of gloves are the next best thing.
Be as road savvy as possible
So, you’re wearing high visibility clothing, a brightly coloured helmet and you are riding your scooter through town. There will still be car drivers that blank you simply because you aren’t the size of a car. The answer to this is a ride as if you were the size of a car.
Position yourself just as you would in a car at roundabouts and when waiting at junctions, and use as much of the road as you would do in a car…after all you are entitled to use the road just like everyone else. You should also ride with the constant thought that you still won’t be seen, which means riding with full alertness and expecting the unexpected.
Be as mechanically sound as possible
Having lights that work, brakes that stop you quickly, tyres that grip the road, a horn that lets people know you’re there and a fully functioning MOT’d to scooter is definitely the way to go. Look after your scooter and it will ultimately look after you in times of crisis. Most of the basic checks are simple to do and should be carried out on a weekly basis at least.
So in short, scooters are great fun to ride, economical to run, trendy and fashionable but they are also dangerous if not ridden properly. You can’t control how other people use the roads but you should do everything possible to keep yourself safe while out and about. If you do this then hopefully you’ll stay out of trouble and continue to ride off into the sunset night after night.
Make sure to visit our best petrol scooters pick if you are having hard time finding one or if you consider riding something more eco-friendly, then check out our best electric scooters or best stunt scooters choice.
