Stay Safe Riding your Vespa or by following these safety tips If you are considering a scooter or a Vespa as your main means of transportation to save money, there are some things you should know. Mopeds and scooters are not the same, Vespa scooters and regulations for motor vehicles and safety issues as their larger cousin, the scooter. Scooters are inexpensive and can save you a lot of money on gas and insurance. Scooters are easy to maintain and they depreciate slowly. However, due to their relatively small size, scooters are hard to see by drivers of motor vehicles especially in traffic and the most common injuries are broken arms and legs. The following tips will help you to have security "scooters":
Wear bright clothing or reflective to maximize your visibility at night.
Wear a point, ANSI, or Snell-approved helmets that are designed with a hard shell external bunding to protect the head and brain in a variety of effects. In 2006, 41% of people killed in crashes were not wearing helmets.
If your helmet is fitted with a visor, wear glasses or glasses with plastic lenses to protect your eyes against insects, wind, dust, stones or other matter in the air.
Wear elbow pads and knee pads.
Wear slip-resistant shoes and avoid wearing sandals, flip flops or shoes with laces.
Ride with the flow of traffic.
Observe speed limits and never travel faster than your skill level or as conditions allow.
Know how to use hand signals and the signal and before taking a turn or lane change.
Use extra caution at intersections, parking lot entrances and exits, and driveways.
Avoid hitting road hazards such as sharp bumps and holes in the road surface. These risks may cause loss of control or damage.
Be especially conscious of traffic behind.
Do not use your scooter at night. The scooter is not equipped to operate in the dark or low light. It can not be easily visible to motorists, pedestrians or other scooters.
If you drive at night, make sure you have a beacon of safety for your scooter.
Ride only on smooth hard surfaces. Scooters are not designed to be used in off-road conditions. Be careful when you drive over obstacles.
Avoid gravel roads and uneven.
Do not allow motorized scooter to be used in the rain, or be driven through puddles. The motor, batteries and controls can be damaged if exposed to water.
The scooter should be used by one person at a time. Do not carry other people or objects when you ride. Do not put additional burdens on the scooter by pulling or towing anything.
Scooters must have a seat for road use.
Park so that you do not block sidewalks, handicap and building access, or spares
Check all joints, hinges and quick releases to ensure the scooter is properly assembled. Stop using the scooter immediately if any joint, hinge, or quick release comes loose.
Keep the air pressure in tires. Low air pressure causes extra rolling friction, reduces ground clearance, and wears the tires faster.
If the brake lever touches the handlebar, stop using the scooter until the lever is set.
This list is not completely comprehensive. You should check the specific rules of the State with your local DMV.
Posted on March 7, 2010.
