Own the City: Safe Electric Scooter Riding Tips! 

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.

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

Thank you for uploading the electric scooter urban riding safety tips on RU-vid. 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.

I feel like some drivers don’t like it when PEVs pass them on the road. I could be going 20mph and someone will speed on by and they weren’t going that fast before. And the speed limit in my area is 25mph and my scooter somewhat keeps up but I got another that goes 40 but it’s too big for the quick maneuvers I like to do. I’m currently practicing with it but won’t fully take it out until the side mirrors come in. I have an Unagi and Varla Eagle V2 btw.

I've been riding scooters for 6 years. Lots of scooters don't have directional signals or brake lights, and most only have an annoying little buzzer instead of a horn. Two things I use and recommend are a Lumos helmet because they have very bright and visible lighting and directional signals and brake lights. And I would never ride without my @Loudbicycle horn which is extremely Loud and sounds exactly like a car horn. These two accessories have saved my life many times over because of bad drivers and pedestrians.

I’m a E-bike guy so far have a long range ANIOKI goes a little over 30mph. You are lucky where you are to have bike lanes. A lot of two lane roads so I do map my routes out like you added in this vid. I’m deep in the south there aren’t many lanes so a lot of honking and people going around no one really rides them in my city alternative vehicles in the city. This was a great video man , definitely will cop a e-scooter one day , subbed !

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

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.

Just bought a 40mph (60kmh) scooter so I’m glad I watched this

Lots of good tips! The right turns in front of me are the ones that cause the most close calls. I ride with my lights on bright flash mode too and that seems to help a lot. I feel way safer on my motorcycle than I do on my WolfKing GT!! Haha! Definitely have to pay attention!!

pro tip: always maintain the speed traffic on your scooter and stay behind the car that is in front even if you can go way faster since they may make an unexpected right turn without turn signal and cause you to get a fun ambulance ride down to the er!

Very comprehensive. I love those people in automobiles that turn in front of you as shown at end of video 😠. Maybe you’re right that they don’t see you at times, but I’m less convinced of this. I ride ultra defensively. Once I had a person pull a U-turn on a wide residential street that missed me by mere inches. Thankfully I was on my 3000W 12” tire ebike and was able to throttle out of the way, but that was a unpredictable moment that I had never anticipated. Most of the time it’s just the driveways that can’t be seen clearly, at least here in the PNW where we get more rain in the valley. There’s a lot of foliage that I didn’t see in your videos. Since I’ve been riding after my bought my first ebike/scooter , the Jetson Bolt and then SegWay ES3, both from Costco, I’ve managed to have only one wreck. I was on my Zero 10X and lifted one hand to adjust my sunglasses when I hit a asphalt repair on the road that had a bump I couldn’t perceive with the glasses on. The Zero 10X steering geometry is not forgiving when this happens if only holding with one hand. I took a spill at 15 mph or so. Not a fun morning that day. I pushed my now inoperable 80lb PEV some 5 miles uphill no less back to my home. Unfortunately nobody was awake in my family to call, plus I felt the burden was mine.. The gashes were pretty big, as I had to dig out glove material from my wounds. Since then, I’m even more cautious !

Rule #1 when cars are around---expect the driver to do something stupid in front of you, and be ready. Never assume the driver will do the safe thing. Usually they do, but sometimes....

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.

Nice channel and great tips.

Thank you 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🚀

Kinda ironic, on a video about safety and most of the clips no gloves, and all clips not even a strong side mirror. I don’t understand how people can ride in traffic and amongst upcoming traffic without a mirror. I feel so much more vulnerable without knowing what’s coming up from behind.

another advice if u think a car and u make eye contact assume they still dont see u i have a broken wrist because i thought she saw me she claimed she didnt even see me

Good tips! I ride in Australia (both scoots and EUC), where unfortunately we can't bloody follow some of this advice because our laws and regs for PEVs/micromobility are written by people who don't know what they're talking about, and there's been a sustained fear campaign from the media. Ride at the same speed as traffic so you don't get smeared across the road? Nah, limited to 25km/h and cops have crushed unlocked scooters if they find them. Very frustrating and limits the potential of these PEVs to reduce the number of cars on our more congested roads.

thank you!

At 5:31, I saw a rodent run across sidewalk. 😂

I'd never bother to go behind a car but nevertheless it is a good idea. If your wondering why I generally don't is because I make myself seen and heard. I have a recharged bar light on my Wolf King GT and the scooter has a strobe function. When I get near cars, I give them a friendly honk or have obnoxious music playing on a loud Bluetooth speaker. This makes you stand out more than you need to in busy areas.

and then we got my country , one of the few countries that sadly dont legalize e-scooters even tho my country would be a dream place for any E-scooter rider because we have the world's best infrastructure for bicycles which E-scooter would also benefit from. however , i do ride a e-scooter so my safety tip is , dont get caught.

I notice you have many parts of your videos filmed in Utah I will not say what city but I totally recognize many places. I have a Zero 10x and have watched many of your videos.

Where i live, i learned to better block cars than allowing them to pass, at least when it comes to dedicated bike/trail roads where you see 90% people walking, with a (e) bicycle or rarely a scooter. Those 10% of people on these "roads" with cars are ruthless and overtaking with barely any space between me and the car. Learned this lesson within a few days. In those cases I CHOOSE when the car is allowed to go in front of me, and to be honest most cars driving there are driving this road anyways illegally (farmers and local residents only)

Please review scooter accessories 🙏🏿

The sidewalk belong to the pedestrian. If you use it ? Be very respectful. Dont ruin it for the rest of us !

Helmet, gloves, safer routes, brake when in doubt and don't make snap decisions. Know how to shift your weight for stops and potholes. Ideally, know your route by heart.

braking practice is a must you will do what you practiced also keep your speed down to 35km/hr max cars are able to act predictably around you

What camera mount u use? Looking for something to use on my scooter with the insta 360 x3

YOO wsp man I've been tryna find your channel for a while now I've seen ur possway t3 and uditer s3 review. Do you still use them and which one is better I've heard really bad things bout the possway like it breaks down a lot. The uditer is the one I've been tryna get but its a $200 shipping to Canada so fuck that lmao. Anyway which one do you think is better?

I’m thinking of getting the fastest new wolf king as my first scooter. Former skateboarder and I’ve used pushed scooters before so I’m confident in my ability to ride. I would definitely start of slow for quite a while and only use single motor lvl 1,2 ect until I felt extremely comfortable with turning and how it handles and gradually ramp it up when I feel comfortable. Do you think I can handle the new beast as my first scooter with that mindset?

Have you ever looked into yume? I have a y10 and love ot

Can you review the Evercross H5 pls?

I blast obnoxious music on my JBL speaker while riding here in NYC. PEVS are quiet so it’s important to be heard as you approach cars. It has saved me countless times from sketching situations (like cars drifting into the bike lane quickly correcting themselves) and especially lane splitting in slow traffic.

How do you make a left turn at a busy intersection without a bike lane? Take the pedestrian crosswalk?

I just crashed my scooter today and you upload this at the same time, perfect timing, thanks for the tips, I will apply them. I had complete right of way at the crossing but the Jeep that was turning did not see me. I was only scraped up a bit, nothing bad. I used the pedestrian crosswalk because it was a wide multilane road with busy traffic, so there was no safe way to get into the left turning lane. The scooter cannot keep up with traffic anyways. Do you have any recommendations on safely turning left on busy roads?

What happened to your scooter brand tier list video?

My advice is to be prepared for the worst from the other cars, people, bikes etc. What I mean is that I think of other road users as "dumb robots" who can't see me so they may do whatever unexpected at any time and it's up to me to keep myself safe. So this means I anticipate that they may turn suddenly in front of me etc and so I always keep a safe distance to everybody and then also I will slow down when I have to pass by someone. I call it "safety bubble" which gives me, and others time to react if something would go wrong. It has been horrifying to see some videos on RU-vid where the author is going 20-40mph right next to pedestrians, and I mean inches away. Madness.. one wrong move from the pedestrian and it's game over.

I think the rear mirror is very important. looking back on a scooter seems quite dangerous.

I just fell yesterday on my scooter going 80 kph and damn it hurt

Never assume drivers see you when they are coming out of street making a right or left turn best to stop until driver see you .

You should show us that you need to stop completely at red lights and at stop signs.

I do have a question, on a slow scooter, as ours are limited to 20kph here in my city, how do you make left hand turns on multiple laned roads. Its illegal to ride on footpaths here but we are allowed on roads up to 60kph, the issue is in the inside lanes cars are not looking for you as theyre zipping past, so its dangerous getting into the turning lane

Build good habits

4:54: If you’re in California remember that anything that goes above 15mph needs to be registered with the DMV and insured against liability.

hey i live pretty close to you. Need to get any heavylight scooters out of your hands😅😅😅😅

side walk is a no no

My scooter only goes max 15mph

Inspite of all this, there will be always idiot drivers in cars trying to race you, especially if you have a performance escoot. They can't stand a escooter overtaking them so they will do some pretty stupid sh*t around you.

1:23 - As someone who rides an e-bike daily I CANNOT DISAGREE MORE… Do you know how many damn times I am riding on the correct side of the road and people we just VEER out of suburbs without even looking both ways? Like, I’m absolutely shocked these people don’t have more dents in their cars. Or for all I know they’re super well off and replace vehicles and pay off tickets and judges non-stop. I am not kidding, it is staggering how many people think that when they are behind the wheel of a car they can suddenly become a, “multi-task” god… You THINK you can use your phone and drive at the same time, but for people like myself paying MUCH closer attention to the road I swear to you this is not true. You’re just NOT noticing your errors.

d'ont use cruise mode on scooter with high speed, d'ont kick start with 0km, drivers d'ont like e scooters

742

law or not. i’m staying off any sidewalks.

Allah bdah mahrban

L

He's talking about security on the road and he's scooter doesn't has rear back mirror. Wow

Dude you're giving safety tips while riding around, wearing no gloves what so ever! GTFO with those tips!

I had a policeman tell me to ride on the sidewalk if possible. I researched the laws in my state. E scooters are prohibited on sidewalks except for downtown. It was a fairly young man, so I guess he wasn't familiar with all the scooter laws. 🛴