5 Tips for E-Scooters

It’s a Bird! It’s a Lime! It’s another electronic scooter (e-scooter) zipping along Denver streets as people find alternatives to driving, Ubering, or taking public transit systems. If you want to join all of the people cruising around town and feel the wind in your hair as you whip by cars in traffic, it’s simple to join one, or several, of the scooter services. However, since they’re still new (and many people take risky liberties with their riding maneuvers), drivers aren’t fully accustomed to sharing the road with another vehicle, causing reports of Denver car accidents with scooters to sweep headlines. As such, we’ve compiled a list of tips to stay safe while you ride an e-scooter from A to B.

When they first hit the market, many cities considered e-scooters to be toy vehicles, similar to skateboards, or rollerblades and would need to be ridden on the sidewalk for safety. However, since the scooters can reach speeds up to +/- 20mph, they need to be ridden on the roads alongside cars, similar to bicycles. Thanks to the convenience and the sheer number of scooters around cities, people can pick one up and ride at a moment’s notice, making it easy to travel. The downside is that these people likely never have any safety gear to wear to catch the attention of drivers.

If a road has a speed limit of 30mph or higher, e-scooters are forbidden to be ridden; because they can only reach max speeds of around 20mph, they ruin the flow of traffic by causing backups and become an obstacle for other drivers, especially when the scooter’s rider needs to take a left turn. Many state and municipal parks also limit or prohibit e-scooter riding through them.

If you’re going to ride an e-scooter on the roads:

Wear a helmet – A collision at 20mph on an e-scooter with another vehicle can still do some serious damage. You may wind up with a concussion, or traumatic brain injury, and need a Denver car accident attorney.

Wear reflective gear – In the daytime, but especially nighttime, the more visible you are to other drivers, the safer you will be.

Stay in the bicycle lane – Until you need to take a left turn, stay in the bike lanes (assuming there is one), otherwise, stay as far to the right of the road as possible to avoid being an insurance accident writeup.

Use hand signals – The more information drivers have regarding your intended maneuvers, the more room and time you’ll have to perform them safely.

Pay attention – You need to assume that every driver is distracted and/or can’t see you, so you need to keep vigilant and avoid any potential collisions.

E-scooters are a fun and eco-friendly way to get around, but they can be dangerous and you could be involved in a collision with one if you don’t pay attention. If you find yourself in a car accident involving an e-scooter, call our offices today to speak with an expert attorney to help protect your rights.