With the recent explosion of electric scooters in nearly every major city in the USA, some confusion has arisen. Not everyone knows the rules for riding an electric scooter, especially in high traffic, busy areas of downtown corridors, and many other similar situations.

If you do not know the rules, you could potentially threaten your safety and all the people around you. That is why it is essential to learn the basics, at the very least, and look up the specific laws for your city or town. Because if people keep getting hurt in scooter accidents and things do not get any better, then more cities could go the way of Atlanta and D.C., where scooters have been banned within city limits.

They had too many problems, so they suspended the Bird and Ojo scooter projects and outlawed all scooter use to keep people safe. They were also looking to keep their sidewalks clear for pedestrians, and too many people were leaving shared scooters in the middle of sidewalks and pathways.

So, if you still have a shared scooter project in your city and enjoy using them and the freedom they allow you, you have to remember just a few key things that will significantly reduce your chances of having an accident while riding.

 

Bike lane or Roadway, but never the Sidewalk

First, you should ride in the bike lane or roadway, not the sidewalk. Sidewalks are for pedestrians, and it can be complicated to dodge many people walking when cruising at full speed.

So, unless your city has a specific ordinance saying scooters are to remain on the sidewalks, and there is a handful like this across the nation, keep it on the blacktop roadways.

You will find it much easier to cruise around as fast as these electric scooters can take you while in these areas, and you need to remember a couple more things to be completely safe.

 

The local traffic laws

The next thing to remember is that you must follow all traffic laws, signals, and etiquette that you would if you were behind the wheel of a car or on a bike.

For example, you need to come to a complete stop at stop signs, wait your turn, and then move through. Every time you plan to make a turn or lane change, you should be looking over your shoulder to glance at your blind spot to see if anyone is there before making a change.

You can also signal your turn using your arms just like you would on a bicycle, but some people are not good enough or practiced enough on the scooters to achieve this, which is okay. They need to be that much more cautious with their movements.

 

Always flow with traffic.

Finally, always flow with traffic and never against it. If it is a one-way road and you need to go the other way, go another block up and work your way up to your destination through a different route.

Some assume that riding against traffic is only possible when a bike lane exists. Riding against traffic puts you at a much higher risk of getting into a more serious accident involving your scooter trip.

People have been run over by swerving cars. Or they have also hit a pothole or bounced out into the car traffic, with severe injury and a couple of deaths.

Sometimes all you need to do to flow with traffic instead of against it is to cross the street you are on and use the bike or car lane on the other side, but sometimes this means finding a different route to take to your destination than the most direct one.

An extra three to five minutes added to your scooter trip is well worth maintaining safe riding practices and following these guidelines.

 

Where to Park the Scooter

You should leave the scooter on the outer edge of the sidewalk and out of regular walking channels. Leave it where it will be easily spotted by the next rider, sure, but do not leave it where a few dozen other people have to step over it or go around it to walk along the sidewalk normally.

 

So, get out there and get scooting. If you haven’t tried it yet, then you should the first chance you get, and if your city doesn’t have a scooter-sharing program in it yet, then you can always shell out a few bucks and get a scooter of your own and get ahead of the transportation curve in your town.

 

Riding a scooter will be more and more popular.

They are a much greener mode of transportation than many other forms and are a trend that is here to stay for the long haul. The immensely popular shared scooter programs have exploded, filling cities with scooters as fast as they can manage to get approval from city councils and then set up a system to support them.

Soon, every city in America will be scooting along. Hopefully, everyone learns to follow these basic rules so everyone can ride more safely and avoid accidents that can cause severe injuries.

Always look for your city’s specific rules or laws for scooter riding within city limits. These guidelines vary from state to state, county to county, city to city, and sometimes even neighborhood to neighborhood.

 

Keep informed about your city laws.

A quick internet search of scooter laws in your area is all you will need to find out if there are any specific rules or regulations regarding scooting your way around your hometown or any city you may be visiting. They are all somewhat similar.

But some cities have oddball rules that go against the consensus on how to ride a scooter. So, be aware that the laws change and get updated as scooter travel becomes even more popular.

 

Conclusion

To avoid risk factors and be as safe as possible, you need to follow these key steps, and your scooter trips will continue to be a safer delightful mode of transportation across town.

When you need to cross into different sections of a town or neighborhood and do not want to wait for the city bus or streetcar, you can easily hop on a scooter and cruise your way to your destination in style and have fun doing it too.

Remember to keep it in the bike lane or car lane if there is no bike lane available, follow all traffic laws and etiquette like knowing your turn at a stop sign when it comes up, and finally, always flow with traffic and never forget against it.

Know these three keys to safety, and you will continue scooting your way around the city in the safest possible manner. The final note is that when you reach your destination, do not just leave your scooter in the middle of the sidewalk or directly on a corner blocking a crosswalk access point.

You can enjoy scooting wherever you are and get where you are going quicker and easier than you otherwise would.

Get out there and have a good time between destinations. Remember that the key to life is in the journey.