Top Kick
Scooter Safety Tips
ALWAYS use a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads.
This is a small
investment - only about $35 - and can instantly eliminate
almost two-thirds of possible scooter accidents, including
most of the most serious ones. In many states, provinces and
regions throughout the world, these are required by law!
Children
under eight should always be supervised when using scooters.
Almost a third of
all scooter-related injuries and accidents involve children
under the age of eight. As everyone knows, scooters are
capable of traveling very quickly, and children that age do
not always have the judgment or coordination to handle these
high speeds.
Use
scooters in a safe places.
Cars and scooters
don't mix, especially for younger riders. Smooth, paved
surfaces are best - avoid bumpy, uneven, wet or rocky ones.
Schoolyards, parks, paved trails are examples of safe places
to "scoot"! And, on sidewalks, be especially careful for
pedestrians, who always have the right of way.
Always
observe the basic rules of the road anywhere you use scooters.
As scooters can
travel as fast as many other types of vehicles, motorized and
non-motorized, they too must observe the rules of the road.
These include:
Stop at every
stop sign. Look left, right, and left
again before proceeding.
Stop at the end of the driveway. Look left, right, and
left before entering the street.
Use proper hand signals.
Obey traffic signs and signals.
Do not ride a scooter at night.
When it is dark
out, there are just too many things that can easily upset your
balance and cause you to fall. Therefore, no one should ride
scooters at night.