Safe Riding on Your Escooter is essential. Escooters are great fun and handy way to zip around, but they can also be potentially very dangerous when not used correctly. We have one of the best ranges of escooters in Ireland with maximum speeds of up to 20kmph. That’s nothing to be sneezed at. So here are some tips to prevent falls or injuries.
Get used to riding
It’s good to avoid using the cruise control function on your scooter. Cruise control can be activated and forgotten about and can cause an accident if you’re expecting to be able to slow down by releasing the throttle. Especially as you approach a crossroad or area where you need to stop.
Avoid riding with both feet side by side
While you might be used to ride-on toys that keep your feet together, riding with both your feet together is very unstable. If you brake suddenly you will not have the base of support necessary to prevent yourself from falling forward. It’s much safer to ride with one foot forward and one foot behind. This also gives you more ability to move your body out of the way of a potential obstacle. When you’re riding past parked cars, a common issue that can happen is that you need to turn away from car doors to avoid hitting a door that’s opened out in front of you. If you ride with your left foot forward, you can more easily manoeuvre your body out of the way while you turn the scooter. Also, don’t lock your knees. This gives you more control and balance. It also reduces the vibration that can travel through your skeleton and up into your head.
Make sure you’re in a good position when you use the brakes
When you brake, your centre of gravity is thrown forward onto the front wheel. This is why e-scooters are prone to flipping. To counteract this, crouch down and back towards the rear wheel when you start breaking while hanging onto the handlebars. This will help compensate for the forward shift in momentum and keep the rear tyre on the ground.
Practice emergency braking in a safe area
When you’re braking on a powerful electric scooter, it’s very easy to accidentally go over the handlebars. It can be helpful to practice braking by starting at a slow speed and braking. Then working your way up slowly till you can safely stop at the maximum speed without skidding. This is a matter of getting used to the momentum and learning how to position your body to keep the e-scooter stable. Never start braking with your front wheel brake as if you do this, you’re almost guaranteed to flip over the handlebars.
Know the conditions
Wet conditions can dramatically reduce the traction you need to drive safely. Wet leaves reduce your traction massively and we have those in abundance during the autumn and winter. So make sure to adjust your speeds for wetter weather. Most electric scooters are built for urban areas and unsuitable for off-road situations. Most e-scooters should not be taken more than a foot off the ground as they cannot withstand the forces involved.
Get a suitable helmet
A bicycle helmet is rated for speeds of up to 30kmph. Many seasoned escooter users use a motorcycle helmet since it has a face protector. This means that no matter what way you fall (and head over the handlebars is the most common way) you won’t cause serious harm to your face.
If you have any questions about our range of products, you can always give us a call on 021 4965132