Own the City: Safe Electric Scooter Riding Tips!

How to stay safe while riding your electric scooter in the city!

[ioanc]

I also wear a high-visibility vest practically all the time I ride an electric scooter, even in full sunlight. It makes me visible to drivers entering the road, they will give me right of way more often than if I wouldn't wear one. I wear it even more than on a bicycle, as the upright position on a scooter makes me look like a slow pedestrian, so with the vest I look more like a guy who has business being on the road.

[filipluneski]

Great tips. However, sadly the biggest risks are potholes. I had a major accident by hitting a pothole. I was going around 35mp/h and didn’t even see the hole, so i turned into a superman and smashed on the pavement. If i didn’t wear my helmet, i wouldn’t be typing this comment now… so watch out folks

[terpypanda]

Hey! great to see the varla eagle one pro on the channel again! Your reviews and videos were a huge factor in my decision to get one. And you didnt steer me wrong! almost 2k miles later and im still very happy

[waktosha]

I put mirrors on all my bikes and scooters, except for my BMX.

[Shulinen-Vigario]

Just got back home on my Maxfun 10 pro electric scooter, I see you're also cruising on one in this video. I won't deny it - your review of the Maxfun 10 pro definitely impact me. Yet, I have zero regrets. After a month of whizzing about town on it, my affection for the Maxfun 10 pro just keeps growing!

[tsdtheskeletondrummer]

Thanks for the safety tips as a scooter rider it’s always a great reminder to know about when riding an electric scooter.

[jayparker]

Excellent video. I've ridden thousands of miles and you're bang on. Good job 👍

[truthiscensored]

I always ride in a defensive manner when riding bikes, EUCs, scooters. I never ride agressive.
I assume the driver DO NOT see me only when I make eye contact do I go the right away.
Don't ride fast, unless the case cause for it.

Drivers of 4000 pound boxes only look for other 4000 boxes or bigger, a 100 pound Personal Electronic Vehicle (PEV)is the last thing on their mind in traffic...And if a Personal Electronic Vehicle is riding in the flow of traffic, it make car drivers think they are going too slow...many don't know PEV can go 60+ mph

[MrCesar]

I recently got an electric scooter and this video helps out a lot!
I live in an urban city and there's usually a lot of traffic, roundabouts, and a casino nearby.
I finally took it for a ride last night to my house and was scared to death on my way over. It was my very first ride, but good thing it was at night with very few cars. I know I'll get better with practice, but just the fear to take it out today to work and something happening, it's scary. Hopefully I grow out of this fear eventually.
I bought an Apollo City which itself as a very first scooter is crazy.

[jamesf]

My general rule is assume the worst.
If a situation arises where something could go wrong or someone can't see you, assume that it will go wrong or the person that can't see you will turn or pull out in front of you.
Great tips!
BTW the rovoron is now on sale for $1000! That is a steal!

[siberx]

Great tips across the board! A few elaborations and additional points:

* A rear view mirror is essential especially if you're going to be riding in traffic at all (likely). Personally, I have found that the ones that install in your bar end (cut a hole in your grip end if necessary) with a short arm are the best, as they minimize vibration and are far enough to the side to clear your own arm to keep your view unobstructed (otherwise difficult on a scooter with most mirrors on the market due to the typical riding posture).

* Always ride with a helmet, and I highly recommend a motorcycle helmet for speeds above about 15-20mph. Since I also ride a motorcycle and have the gear I also ride with a motorcycle jacket and gloves when going at higher speeds, although I understand that can be an expensive investment if you only own an e-scooter and don't ride at high speeds often.

* Always ride with eye protection, at least sunglasses of some sort. You _will_ encounter bugs, dust, and various other bits of debris that will compromise your vision, not to mention eyes easily tearing up at the speeds that are achievable with most midrange to high end scooters.

* A bell is great to have to notify pedestrians and cyclists when you're approaching from behind. I haven't found any electronic ones that don't have an obnoxious sound, so get a mechanical one and go louder than you think you need because car noise nearby often masks the sound and many people walk or ride with headphones in. It's probably not worthwhile trying to get something loud enough for cars to hear (because it will be too bulky) but if you do, you'll _also_ want a regular bell so you don't scare the pants of pedestrians.

* Consider how hilly your area is, and select a scooter model accordingly. Keeping up with traffic is important for safety when sharing the road, and that also applies when going uphill so ensure you can maintain a reasonable pace at whatever grades are common where you live.

* Practice emergency stops so that your response is instinctual when you need to stop quickly. Learn how to apply both brakes smoothly at the friction limit so that you don't lock up your wheels, you will go down _fast_ on something as light as an e-scooter if you start skidding.

* It has been eye-opening how often cars do not slow down _at all_ at stop signs on otherwise quiet residential streets; they often see me late, and end up coming to a stop 10 feet or more past the sign (if they see me at all). Make a point of slowing down enough that you can react even when traveling through a 2-way stop intersection in the flow direction with no signs, because a car could easily blast right though the stop signs. As a more general rule, always make the assumption other road users _do not see you at all_ despite the fact that I've found the upright posture on an e-scooter makes it reasonably easy for a somewhat attentive driver to pick up on you.

* Some areas do not allow riding on a sidewalk on an e-scooter, but use your own judgement and discretion; sometimes the risk of a ticket is better than the risk of injury or death from attempting to share the road in adverse conditions, especially if the sidewalk is clear. Also, it's always a viable option to simply dismount the scooter and walk it through trouble sections. You count as a pedestrian when you're not actively riding. This is also a courteous move when passing pedestrians on narrow areas and does good things for the public's impression of scooter riders.

* Keep a very careful eye on the road surface. E-scooters have very small wheels, and are disproportionately affected by any inconsistencies in the road. A pothole that a bicycle would shrug off could throw you clear off the scooter, so always keep a watchful eye and be prepared to use your maneuverability to weave around any trouble patches. Unless your local separate bike network infrastructure is excellent, I highly recommend getting a scooter with full suspension if you intend to ride on regular roads at all as it will help mitigate some of the bump sensitivity inherent to scooters.

* Be extra wary of debris when riding in bike lanes adjacent to roads, especially high speed ones. The passing movement of cars often causes detritus to accumulate in the bike lane, and cities are usually pretty lax about cleaning/sweeping that stuff up. It can easily affect your balance if you hit an unexpected piece of trash, or even just hit a sand/gravel patch that you didn't see.

[Gojo_is_hot]

Hey I haven’t seen many reviews on the gotrax gx2 I think you are one of the most unbiased e scooter YouTubers is it possible if you could review the gotrax gx2

[andreapatane]

Thank you for uploading the electric scooter urban riding safety tips on YouTube. I find them very helpful for me to obey wisely and properly at the same time. In fact, I'll take this opportunity to convince my parents to buy a Phantomgogo Commuter R1 foldable electric scooter which has a seat and a carry basket included as part of a great idea that I had for Earth Day 2024 regarding reducing fuel in the environment.

[ioanc]

Also be extra careful when riding on sidewalks, as they can have many more potholes and seams you may not even notice, since they're not built for high speed riding.

[wassiswallylokhankin]

And remember: screws and nails tend to lie closer to curbs, so be ready for surprises.

[jezzarisky]

While not strictly a tip to riding, but consider writing to your local government officials to install bike lanes(especially separated or protected lanes) and other infrastructure to help with improving riding conditions. Also see if there are any local micromobility groups(usually a bike group) to follow and help advocate when you can.

[brandonmaher]

You use the exact same logic and decision making as I do and it's about the same whether I'm walking scooting or anything on the road really. Great Video, appreciate it!

[purpleblueunicorn]

Great tips. Just ordered my first scooter, but very experienced cyclist and all of these apply too. Cars do not expect it when you ride fast. I also hate cycling lanes that go opposite to traffic, never take them, it's too dangerous, even if cars tell me to go take them. People never look the other way, and it's dangerous even as a pedestrian. For knowing when cars are behind, I use a radar (Garmin Varia). It will beep and if you have a compatible head display, you will see were they are. I never ride without it. Great tip for using the legs to signal, been doing long rides (15 miles) on my manual kick scooter (12 mph) and never new how to signal without endangering myself, will be using the legs or saw some thumb controlled signals I can add to the bike.

[bplynch]

I really appreciated this video you did. I myself own a hyper scooter. And I would love if you could do additional safety videos like you just did. I've been riding for years but I can always use extra advice. Thank you

[accelgamerhd]

For the dooring part if its sketch looking with distance i actually will just ride slower to avoid being startled when a car door open. I think the worse is the people exiting out to quickly not realizing a cyclist could be secs away from passing them because they weren't looking. Ever since i got my Vsett 11+ it changed the way i drive my car. For the people speeding up toa driveway often do it on purpose because they expect you to slowdown when it's actually the complete opposite. A lot of people are used to driving fast so their level of patience is very low. I usually check behind 2-3 times just before i'm about to cross pass a driveway like in the video because i don't trust that will see me or slow down. This gives me time to decide if i wait or keep going.