No gear for scooters

I heard someone talking the other day about not needing to have protective gear because they were riding a scooter instead of a motorcycle. When I asked them why, they seemed to think that scooters were less dangerous than motorcycles so they didn’t need the same gear that a motorcyclist needs. I found this strange…

Scooters are different from motorcycles in many ways but they are both on two wheels traveling at fairly high speeds in traffic. So the dangers faced by motorcycles are still there with scooters (I wouldn’t want to come off a motorcycle or scooter traveling even at city street speeds). If anything, the risk for a scooter may be higher. Scooters are sometimes smaller making them more difficult for drivers to see them (drivers are already too busy with their cellphones and radios to notice cars much less scooters and motorcycles). Also, scooters are generally slower than motorcycles making it more difficult to get out of the way in a tricky situation.

Scooter riders (like motorcycle riders) need to gear up to get seen…

LED lights on the back of GMAX GM68 helmet

Buy a helmet that is bright and easily seen. Your head is the highest part of the scooter and a white helmet is quickly recognized by drivers (might have something to do with the motorcycle police officers wearing white helmets too). To help get people’s attention, especially at night, put retroreflective tape around the base of your helmet. Also, some helmets, like the GMax GM68, offer LEDs on the back which flash to attract even more attention.

Note retroreflective piping on jackets

Wear a highly visible jacket with retroreflective (Phoslite) piping. A white or high-visibilty, yellow jacket is your best choice to get you noticed. If you can’t get one (or don’t want to spend money on a new jacket), buy a retroreflective vest that you can wear over your current gear.

Basically, do what you can to get yourself noticed! People are paying less attention to the roads these days so give them every possibility to see you before it’s too late.

Ride safe!

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