How Safe Are Electric Scooter Rentals?

If you have noticed more electric scooters in New York City lately, you are seeing the results of a Department of Transportation effort to decrease congestion. In fact, according to a company press release, Lime recently positioned 1,000 more shared scooters in the city for New Yorkers to rent.

While it may seem like fun to step onto an e-scooter and scoot around town, you should recognize the inherent risks these scooters present. Put simply, if you crash or fall from an e-scooter, you may suffer catastrophic injuries or even die. Here are some reasons e-scooters are more dangerous than you think.

The rear emergency brake

Some scooters have rear emergency brakes that allow riders to stop quickly or decelerate when going downhill. Regrettably, though, these rear emergency brakes are not always easy to recognize. If you only rely on the scooter’s front brakes because you do not know about the emergency brake, you may have an increased risk of flying over the e-scooters handlebars.

The e-scooter’s construction

Because of the massive popularity of e-scooters, some rental companies have had to purchase consumer-grade scooters rather than commercial-grade ones. The construction of these scooters may not be good enough to handle multiple riders in a commercial setting. Specifically, the scooter you rent may have weak or inferior parts.

The problem with lighting

If you rent and ride an e-scooter after dark, you may not be able to see the path in front of you clearly. This is because many rental scooters have poor lighting. Regrettably, if you are riding a scooter with dim headlights, you are at risk of injuring yourself in a collision with a curb, hole, car or some other hazard.

Ultimately, while you can take steps to stay safe on an e-scooter, pursuing financial compensation may increase your odds of recovering from any injuries you suffer on one.