Electric scooters from services like Bird and Lime have taken many cities throughout the U.S. by storm, and Louisville is no different. Convenient, affordable, and fast, these small vehicles make it easy to travel short distances and are ideal for downtown workers and tourists alike. However, they’re also associated with serious dangers for riders, especially when they’re used near busy roadways.
Some cities have placed restrictions on scooters, while others have banned them due to riders being seriously injured or even killed. Whether you use scooters daily or just a few times per year, it’s important to understand your risks and know the best ways to stay safe while riding.
Three important safety tips to keep in mind before and during your ride include:
- Double-check the scooter—E-scooters are serviced often, but they can be damaged in a single trip. That means the scooter you’re about to ride may have damaged tires or a broken platform, increasing your risk of losing control and falling.
- Obey traffic laws—Remember that you’re riding a motorized vehicle on a public road. That means you have to follow traffic laws, including stopping at stop signs and obeying the speed limit.
- Don’t double up—E-scooters are meant to be used by one person at a time. Doubling up with another adult or even a child can make it more difficult to control your scooter, and you may exceed its weight limit.
Other important safety tips include wearing a helmet, sticking to bike lanes and staying off sidewalks, and parking your e-scooter away from walkways, doorways, and ramps after you’re done using it.
The Louisville personal injury attorneys at Sam Aguiar Injury Lawyers are here to help if you or someone you love was injured by another person’s negligence while riding an e-scooter. Contact us today for a free consultation to find out how we can assist you.