As cute and innocent as these scooters appear, they are still just as dangerous as a motorcycle in many ways and deserve the proper respect and execution of safety practices.
- Wear your helmet- Yeah, nothing new here, we've already mentioned this in a previous post, but when you consider most all of the fatalities mentioned above were due to a head injury, we'd say that was reason enough to bear repeating again, and again, and again!
- See ya Jose and Judy I'm out a here
- Speak softly... and forget about carrying a stick- With road rage the way it is in some areas, it is important to drive considerately, especially when the fate of your life hangs in the balance of staying upright through the course of your travels. There are a lot of jerks on the road, and it's best to not instigate cocky behavior.
- Beware of the left turn in any intersection- One of the leading accident scenarios of motorcycles is the left turning car trying to beat the light, while a motorcyclist had the same thing on his or her mind. Whenever you approach a yellow light, proceed with caution, especially if there is a turn lane.
- Watch the road along with the traffic- While it is important to watch the other vehicles, it is also important to watch the road for any upcoming debris. Most of us have all gone over a tree branch, soda pop bottle, or muffler at some point in our driving because we were paying enough attention to the road. When in a car, this might mean a bent rim, or a chip in the paint, but on a motorcycle or scooter, it could very well be your life.
- Look once, look twice, third times a charm- Anytime you are at an intersection, merging into traffic, or passing another vehicle, look several times before you make a move. Sometimes we only have a few seconds of prior notice to hazards, such as a speeding car. Don't let any of those precious seconds get away from you.
- When the traffic picks up fast, you pickup medium- Especially in traffic jams it is common practice for cars to pickup speed quickly and pass several cars before slamming on the brakes. In a car you are still risking a fender bender if someone tried to pull out to get in an opening, but on a motorcycle or scooter, you are risking substantial injury. Motorcycles and scooters are much more invisible to the automobile driver, so its best to just assume that nobody can see you.
Tags: