Scooter Safety: Near Misses and Lessons Learned

With the warmer weather you may have seen more people on scooters in different parts of town.  

Although they are fun and serve as an alternate means of transportation, they can also be dangerous if the right safety precautions are not implemented.  

“So you have to ring the bell so you don't come up on pedestrians walking on the sidewalks because they're unaware until you ride up on them. That's one of the main safeties that I definitely take action on,” said long-time scooter rider Jason Mechling.  

Mechling said he once almost had a close call that could have landed him in the hospital. 

“There was some construction last year that I encountered, some rocks that were on the road, but that was just me not paying attention and and just being careless and and you don't want to be careless when you ride on these things, for sure,” added Mechling.  

He was lucky but Assistant OU Professor Dr. Chance Nichols said the injuries they see at OU health from scooter accidents can be extreme. 

“Traumatic brain injuries, you can see significant chest trauma, abdominal injuries, you know, very significant long bone extremity fractures,” said Dr. Nichols.   

In March Segway recalled about 220,000 of its scooters sold across the U.S.  

This was because of fall hazards resulting in injuries ranging from bruises to broken bones. 

Dr. Nichols said riders can be caught off guard by how easy it is to get into an accident.  

He added you can be hit by a car, another motorist hitting you, or even small bumps or a curb you are unable to see.  

“People can be surprised by how fast the scooters can go. and, i think a lack of, a lack of understanding of the, of traffic laws or using the appropriate, safety equipment, protective gear,” added Dr. Nichols.  

Nichols says it is important to practice safety first and suggests riders wear protective gear like a helmet for your head.  

Popular scooter company Lime also strongly encourages the use of helmets whenever a person rides a scooter.  

Through partnerships, the company even offers discounts on helmets.