Electric scooter: 5 tips for beginners

Driving an electric scooter is simple and intuitive, but even the most skilled drivers need a little time and patience to master the basic techniques.

Every start is challenging - so below we advise you on what you need to know before your first ride in an electric scooter. 1. Familiarize yourself with the controls on the e-scooter

Get to know your e-scooter so you know where something is without thinking. Driving requires quick reactions and in dangerous situations, you will not have time to think about which side the brake is on and which side the gas.

First of all, check where the gas, brakes, and lights are, what information is available on the LED display, whether the battery is charged, in what condition the tires are and whether the folding mechanism is locked.

Never start driving if you notice that some of the mechanisms are faulty, the battery is undercharged and the tires are under low pressure. You will not be able to optimally control such an electric scooter, and there is a high chance that you will have an accident. 2. Wear protective equipment

When buying an e-scooter, too much time is spent deciding which electric scooter to buy, and too little to think about how to drive safely.

Accidents are sometimes impossible to avoid, and appropriate protective equipment in the form of a protective helmet and elbow and knee pads can differentiate between a few bruises and hospitalization.

This is supported by the data of the American Center for Disease Control and Prevention that as many as 45% of all accidents involving electric scooters end in head injuries, which drivers could have prevented by wearing a protective helmet.

Don’t be discouraged by the fact that few people wear a helmet. In addition to being useful, modern helmets are also a beautiful fashion accessory, so you should not be embarrassed to worry about traffic safety. 3. Practice driving before going into traffic

Take your first electric scooter ride in a parking lot or on a street where there are no vehicles or pedestrians. Let it be a quality surface with no holes in the asphalt, and also avoid roads with a steep slope.

In a safe environment, you will get a better feeling of how the electric scooter works, that is, how hard you need to press the brakes, how hard to add gas, and how to optimally distribute your body weight.

Move the leg on which the electric scooter is standing, start the vehicle, stand on it with the weaker leg and push off with the stronger leg. For most electric scooters, the engine will start when it reaches a speed of 5 km / h.

Now comes the challenging part - learning how to accelerate, break and maintain balance. 4. Learn to brake and accelerate properly

Your feet must be in a stable position before accelerating. When accelerating harder, bend your knees slightly to lower the center of gravity of your body for easier handling.

When braking, the bodyweight must be moved backward, away from the steering wheel. This is especially true when braking hard - adjust your body as if you were sitting down and stand up straight before stopping. Avoid braking abruptly when turning, as there is a greater chance of falling. 5. Learn to maintain balance

If you notice that you are holding, pulling, or pushing the steering wheel hard while driving and while turning, then work to maintain balance. Namely, most of the work needs to be done by your body while driving, and the steering wheel is there only as additional support.

Only turn the steering wheel harder when cornering at very low speeds, but even then you have to maintain balance with your body. At speeds above 8 km / h, weight changes from foot to foot and body tilt are crucial for e-scooter maneuvering.

Maintain balance by tilting your body slightly toward the side you are turning to, or backward when braking and forward when accelerating. This concept is very simple and for most, it comes completely naturally, so after a few test drives, you will have no problem balancing on an electric scooter. For the end

It is not said in vain as an "exercise to perfection." With a little patience and goodwill, you will quickly master the basic techniques of driving an electric scooter, and after only a few days you will drive like an experienced driver.